Bite me!
by Rima-chan
Summary: Being stuck in an arranged marriage with a sweet man...Not so bad. Being stuck in an arranged marriage with a psychopathic, bad tempered asshole is hell. Even if he looks drop dead gorgeous...and is the leader of the Uchiha clan... MadaraxOC AU
1. Chapter 1

1.

She strolled down the rock path calmly; there was no need to hurry. Yuna didn't have any missions for the next week. She still didn't know why, Yuna was simply dismissed without an explanation. She shut her mouth tight with a frown on her forehead. Was she not useful anymore? The girl stopped dead on her tracks and turned around sharply. Yuna decided to go train instead of sitting home and watching over her little sister.

The woman marched right over the grass, not bothering to take the long way. Her back was straight and she kept her head up. When she reached an empty training field her eyebrow twitched. The blazing sun that was mercilessly hot didn't help at all. Ignoring the heat she started with a warm-up, slowly advancing to things that required more attention and energy.

Constantly Yuna felt like she was being watched, it made the irritation inside of her grow. She wasn't always the calmest person. There were times when she could control her anger, but once she almost broke her hand for hitting a stone wall that happened to be near. During practicing she tried to sense the person's presence, but whoever he was knew how to confuse her. He suppressed his chakra, but being that close it was nearly impossible to hide it all so she still felt him just a little.

Yet the damn person was playing with her, he changed positions constantly, without a pattern. Yuna let her kunai drop to the ground before she threw herself on her back, panting and sweating. The girl had no idea how much time had passed already, the clouds changed their speed constantly. She slowly closed her eyes, mentally cursing and enjoying the sun on the same time. The wind brushed past her every now and then. A smile appeared on her lips every time it did.

Yuna popped an eye open when she heard someone walk closer. She recognized the chakra quickly enough to relax.

"What are you doing here? People train here Eiko." Yuna said with a smirk on her lips. She hadn't quite figured out what made her little sister angry. Eiko stayed to the shadow of the trees and crossed her hands on her chest. She raised an eyebrow with a cocky grin on her face.

"Yeah people came complaining that some slob is holding the training field." She said back. Yuna sat up and Eiko jumped when a kunai landed right besides her face in the tree trunk. Yuna pushed herself up and stretched her back.

"Alright, training is finished. Why did you come to bother me anyway? Don't you have an Uchiha to stalk?" Yuna asked Eiko smoothly, walking to the shadows as well. In the shade it didn't feel so warm. A blush appeared on the young girl's lips and she tried to smack her sister who dodged it smoothly.

"I am not stalking Yasu!" Eiko yelled at Yuna who waved her hand dismissingly. Yasu was a 13 year old Uchiha who was that 'it' guy for the young ones. Yuna didn't really understand the big deal around him. He was stronger than average, but not that strong. Eiko ran after her sister.

"Mum asked me to call you home, she told me to send you straight to her room. Uchihas are coming over for dinner and you need to look like as decent as you can get." Eiko said with a small smile on her lips. Yuna rolled her eyes and slapped the back of Eiko's head softly.

"Do your research. Yasu isn't very important in the Uchiha so he isn't going to come...I guess someone like Madara or his brother is coming. Everyone knows that it's just a matter of months before he becomes the leader of the Uchiha clan." Yuna explained to her sister. Her clan was rather close to the Uchiha and she knew that some basic knowledge about the clan would do some good for her. Eiko and Yuna strolled back. The sun was starting to set.

The sisters headed to different directions. Eiko headed to the backyard to play with her friends, she was still young and formal dinners like that weren't for her. Yuna walked through the corridors to her mother's room. She met a few people on the way.

Yuna stopped behind the door and knocked three times. She pushed the door open and walked in carefully, her eyes scanning for her mother. The woman was sitting by the window, looking out. Her brown hair was left loose on her shoulders. A frown was on her lips.

"It's rude to come in like this, Yuna." Hikari said, making Yuna raise an eyebrow. Nevertheless she closed the door behind her and walked to her mother and sat beside her.

"What did you want to tell me? I need to get cleaned up before the Uchiha's come." Yuna said with a small smile on her lips. Hikari scoffed, but relaxed after a few seconds. The woman knew that she had no right to be criticizing right now. Announcing the news during dinner would be a huge mistake because she didn't know what to expect from Yuna, because if she threw a tantrum at the dinner Hikari could never forgive herself for making a stupid mistake.

"The dinner is only going to be between the two of you so you could get to know each other better." Hikari said carefully. She looked towards Yuna, carefully observing her reactions. The girl nodded slowly, as if she wasn't really paying attention.

"Between me and who and why are we having dinner together?" Yuna continued calmly. Her hands were resting on her lap, she was truly exhausted and just wanted to go and have that bath already. Hikari sighed and closed her eyes.

"Our clan lacks strength and power, so the only way to get it is to merge with a powerful clan. You and Madara are going to marry each other in a week. Both sides are expecting strong heirs, because Madara is on a high position." Yuna slammed her fist on the table that was near her before getting up. Hikari didn't blame Yuna, she even though that the girl would throw a larger tantrum. Where Yuna's fist was, was covered with cracks now. The girl pulled herself up and walked to the door. She slammed it shut as she left.

The girl headed to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. Her face had a rather angry look on. So the entire point was to let that Madara breed legally? So the title was just to make that child an heir because otherwise he'd just sleep around with a lot of women but none of the children would be useful? Yuna snorted with a displeased look.

She already didn't like Madara. The hot water didn't relax her body at all. The shower was shorter than usual, Yuna thought that it would ease some of her irritation or anger but it didn't therefore having a long shower was a simple waste of time and water. She dried her hair and body. Yuna jumped when she heard someone knock on the door.

"Yuna-Sama, I'm here with some clothes for you." A familiar voice said. Yuna strolled to the door and opened it. Her maid was there with a small bundle of clothes in her hands. Yuna forced her face to relax. Sakura didn't do anything wrong and she wasn't at fault. She sighed and nodded.

"Alright, how much time do I have anyway?" Yuna asked Sakura who still had a smile on her lips. She couldn't say was it apologetic or simply polite.

"Put those on quickly please. Shall I do your hair after you finish dressing up?" Sakura asked, smoothly dodging the question. Yuna sighed and nodded. Sakura smiled and closed the door.

She changed into the black yukata and let Sakura in again. The maid asked Yuna to sit down on a chair in front of the mirror. She carefully started brushing Yuna's hair.

"Have you ever met Uchiha Madara?" Yuna asked from Sakura who was almost done brushing her hair. The girl's eyebrow rose and she shook her head.

"Someone like me has no right to bother someone like him. Madara doesn't go out on the village that often either. I don't know is this true but someone in the kitchen told me that Uchiha Madara-Sama has a very bad temper." Sakura said carefully. She usually didn't enjoy gossiping, especially because it might've been a lie. Yuna looked at her reflexion.

"I think that it very well could be true...In that case we aren't going to be a very good match. I don't know about him but I feel like throwing something." Yuna said calmly. Sakura flinched but finished up with Yuna's hair anyway. The woman noticed it instantly and smiled softly.

"Sakura I wouldn't hurt you since none of it is your fault." Sakura just smiled and added the finishing touch.

"All done, please follow me. Your mother asked me to tell you to act politely."

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Yuna looked at the man in front of her with a displeased look. Madara was exactly like the rumours said; beautiful, cold and arrogant. He had barely even touched his dinner, his chin resting on the palm of his left hand with a bored look on his face.

When he stepped in the first thing Yuna noticed was the length of his hair.

Sickly long were the two words that crossed her mind. Even she had to admit that Uchiha Madara was gorgeous, but she didn't know what to think of his temper yet. So far he had been calm, not saying much.

"We're supposed to get familiar, so talk." He said with a frown on his lips. Yuna snorted at his arrogance. She had decided the moment he stepped in that she doesn't like him at all.

"What makes you think that I am planning to tell anything about myself to someone like you?" Yuna spat back to him and took a big gulp of juice from her cup. Madara's eyebrow rose and a mocking smirk appeared on his lips. She was even more useless than he thought...not that he thought much of her to begin with.

"And what am I like then, Yuna?" Madara asked with a mocking tone. He couldn't believe that he was paired up with someone like her. Then again it was good in some ways, she can't do any damage to him and that type of women are easy to control. Yuna didn't expect a question like that, but it wasn't hard to think of an answer.

"The arrogant jerk who has a very slim chance of acting like a real human being." Yuna said in one breath. Madara's eyebrow twitched, but he didn't do anything. The man tried to convince himself that it was only temporary; she won't be badmouthing him soon.

"And what makes you think that you can judge me even though we just met?" He asked simply. Yuna felt a twitch of annoyance. She wasn't sure was it because someone as arrogant as him was there, or was it because she simply decided that she won't like him at all?

"Ah well you can still convince me otherwise. We're supposed to get familiar, so talk." Yuna said with a mocking smirk, using Madara's own words. He completely ignored her, though it was quite certain that as soon as he gets back he will punch something. Madara picked up the glass and looked it nonchalantly.

"Well I guess you could be uglier that you are so at least I can take you out in public." Madara took the final sip and placed his chopsticks next to the bowl and bowed.

"Thank you for the dinner. Beginning from tomorrow you will live in the Uchiha compound. I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow evening. Your things will be delivered during the day." Madara got up and left the room without another word. Yuna waited for a few minutes until he was gone from hearing distance before she picked up a bowl and slammed it against the wall.

The bowl broke into pieces with a loud crash and the shards fell on the floor. She didn't even think on cleaning it up. Yuna got up and walked out of the room before slamming the door shut.

Yes, Madara was an arrogant jerk.

It hadn't really occurred to her yet that he simply decided that she's moving in with him. Yuna didn't know was it his or her mother's decision. Yuna heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Eiko running towards her. She tried to calm herself, even though she couldn't care less at the moment if she poured her anger out on her sister. Eiko slowed down near Yuna.

"I saw Madara when he was leaving. He's so pretty! I want to marry a man like that! He smiled and told me that I look a lot like you!" She said with a huge smile. Yuna's eyebrow twitched and Eiko stopped dead on her tracks. She knew very well what the eyebrow twitching meant.

"That was an insult not a compliment..." Yuna forced through gritted teeth.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Madara removed his shoes in the darkness and walked down the halls. His eyes shifted on his left where he heard someone move. His body relaxed visibly when a man with a face similar to his stepped out with a smile on his lips.

"Back so soon, Madara? How was the dinner?" Izuna asked with a small smirk on his lips. He flinched when he saw Madara's eyes flash, even though both of them knew that Madara would never lay a finger on his brother. Izuna relaxed and sighed with a small smile on his lips.

"I'm sure she wasn't that bad. You're just a little bit picky." He said with a smile on his lips. Madara snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I want soup in my office. Ask someone to send it up." Madara asked his brother and walked away. Izuna stayed behind, scratching the back of his head in confusion. Didn't Madara just come from a dinner?

"Alright then..." He mumbled and walked to the opposite direction. Izuna had to make sure that the maid knows that Madara is in a cranky mood and will most likely break something...again...for the 4th time in the past two weeks. He just couldn't wait to see that girl.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

A pair of black eyes moved up when someone familiar sat across her. Sayu grinned widely when a sleepy Yuna sat down behind her usual table. Her hair was a little messy and she had black circles around her eyes. Sayu placed her teacup back on the table.

"Why aren't you at home Yuna? Did you fight with your parents again?" Sayu asked with a slightly mocking voice. Yuna snorted and rubbed her temple softly to stop the headache before shaking her head. Sayu pouted and leaned back with her hands crossed on her chest.

"Then go home, I don't care if you drank last night and got knocked up or something." Yuna sat up straight and yawned loudly, ignoring the stares for her rude behaviour.

"I couldn't sleep last night...and I couldn't sleep during the day either...I'm engaged with Uchiha Madara...He's such an ass." Yuna said sleepily. Sayu almost choked on her tea, surprise in her dark eyes was visible. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Sayu didn't know what to think of it.

"You're kidding right? I heard a rumour that Madara got engaged, but no one knows to who." Sayu said quietly to Yuna. The girl's eyebrow rose and she leaned in just like her friend did.

"Why are you whispering?" Yuna asked Sayu quietly. The girl leaned back and shook her head and started eating. Yuna felt very...confused. It still hadn't occurred to her that she's going to get married in a week. Sayu gulped the last of her miso soup and slammed the bowl on the table.

"I don't know how this happened, but if the word comes out then the women will murder you. Well not literally, but it won't be convenient. They'll most likely calm down after the wedding." Sayu sounded rather calm; after all it wasn't about her. Yuna on the other hand wasn't very happy with the news.

"It was arranged...He's a real ass...I'd give him to the first woman on the street, but since I can't I'm going to make his life a living hell." Yuna said hopefully. She had no idea how yet, but she wasn't going to sit back and let Madara have his way. Sayu on the other hand sighed and snorted.

"That man will have even you on your knees. I have some friends in the Uchiha and they have told me that Madara is really brutal, even on his good days. So I suggest you to be really careful around him. He's way stronger than you and if you stand in his way he'll just push...sorry kick you away and have his way." Sayu felt a chill run up her back. Partially she even felt sorry for Yuna because Madara was a very bad husband to have.

"What am I just supposed to let him walk over me?" Yuna asked. She was getting angry on Madara already, even though she still had a few hours before someone would come to pick her up. Yuna had to remember to be nice to the person picking her up. She has met some very nice Uchihas before in the past; Madara's just that black lamb who no one likes besides his brother.

You can try to befriend Izuna, his brother, because Izuna is the only person Madara won't harm...ever." Sayu suggested and threw a bill on the table before getting up. Yuna did the same with a pout on her lips.

"How is that going to help me? He probably cares about Madara as much as he cares about him! Izuna would choose Madara without hesitation!" Yuna said, following Sayu outside the diner. Sayu turned around and poked Yuna on the forehead. The girl flinched; Sayu could bruise her like that.

"Look, I gave you information; it's up to you to figure out how to use it to your advantage." Sayu turned around sharply and walked away, leaving Yuna stand there alone, more puzzled than before. She simply couldn't see how could Madara's little brother help her since both of them were on the same side. She sighed and turned around to walk back home. It was almost time for her to leave home. She wasn't very happy about moving to the Uchiha compound, but then again it's not like they can force her to stay there so she can come home anytime she wants.

A smile crept on Yuna's lips. When Eiko found out in the morning she started crying. It was kind of sweet even though moving to another part of the town wasn't moving to another country. Yuna's mother tried to convince Madara not to move Yuna, but he had plenty of reasons why not. Mainly because he had to lead the clan, and keep an eye on Yuna to make sure that she wouldn't run off with some other guy. Yuna was still not sure did her mother really try to convince Madara, because he's an arrogant man with a lot of power.

She sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets. Her clan's mansion was right ahead. Yuna took a slow breath in to prepare herself to what's ahead. She walked through the gates and in from the front door. She bit her lower lip and sighed when Yuna saw a man standing there in the doorway, starting to take off his shoes. He straightened up and looked over his shoulder with a small smile on his lips.

"Yuna-Chan, finally I can meet you! My name is Izuna." He said happily and reached out his hand for Yuna. She didn't even want to shake hands with Izuna, but he was just so friendly that it was impossible to block. She couldn't believe that this was the brother of Uchiha Madara, and she couldn't believe that Izuna was picking her up because that is the job of a servant of some sort. Izuna's smile didn't fade even though Yuna didn't look very happy.

"Your things have already been taken to the compound. Don't worry, I didn't pack them, some girl called Sakura did it." Izuna said. Yuna nodded slowly and glanced at the house. She was hoping to see Eiko before leaving, but Eiko was on a mission. Yuna jumped when she felt Izuna's hand on her shoulder, though he pulled away quickly.

"It's not the last time you see this place..." He said as an attempt to make her feel better. Yuna sighed and nodded; slowly she turned her back to the house and walked back out from the gates. She knew that with each step she was getting closer and closer to the Uchiha compound. Izuna was right next to her.

"Why did you come to pick me up, Izuna?" Yuna asked carefully. Izuna looked friendly, but she didn't really know much about him because the women mainly preferred Madara. Izuna rubbed his chin and glazed at the setting sun.

"Well since you're my dear brother's wife I wanted to be the first one to see you after Madara." Izuna said simply. Yuna wasn't sure was he telling the truth, but she decided that it's pointless to try to ask anything else. Yuna sighed and just focused on walking.

"So what's going to happen next?" She asked, because before that moment Yuna hadn't thought of what will happen in the next few days at all. Her mind was so caught up on the marriage that she didn't even think of what will happen in the evening. Izuna looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't Madara tell you? After you get there you'll be dressed up and sent to a welcoming dinner along with Madara. It's to officially introduce you to the clan and help you feel more welcomed." Izuna said this all in one breathe.

Yuna shut her mouth tight and took a slow breath in and exhaled to relax herself.

"No, Madara didn't tell me...and...How am I thought of in the clan currently?" Yuna asked carefully. She tried to predict it in her head, but she couldn't figure out if the women would be jealous, or pitiful? Would the men be disappointed that the leader's wife is someone outside the Uchiha? Izuna pouted without losing that cheerful look from his face.

"I don't think that anyone would do anything in public." Izuna said slowly. Yuna sighed. That wasn't very helpful. The Uchiha compound wasn't far anymore and Yuna felt a knot in her stomach.

It was slowly occurring to her that she had no idea what was it going to be like. Through her entire life she felt that she needed to know everything about everyone to feel safe. Izuna could sense her discomfort. A small smirk appeared on his lips.

"A maid will help you to dress up into a kimono and then Madara and you can have a word, he wanted to talk to you before you go to the dinner." Izuna said shortly. Yuna held back the urge to groan. She didn't even want to think on meeting with Madara.

The Uchiha compound wasn't what Yuna expected it to be. There were people walking around, but they didn't seem serious like she expected. They were smiling, carrying out their everyday duties and some were playing with their children. Izuna took Yuna's arm softly and pulled her to the correct direction.

Yuna felt very out of place, because the Uchihas were usually with black hair, so her light brown hair stood out a lot there along with Yuna's blue eyes. She sighed deeply and tried to convince herself, that no one was watching her. The Uchihas were very good in something like this, because every time Yuna tried to catch someone red-handed they were carrying on like nothing happened. She felt the air getting warmer and warmer by each step.

"Izuna where are we going, weren't we supposed to go to my room?" Yuna asked. Izuna stopped in the hallway. He looked ahead before leaning against the wall. It was a long hallway and the wall was filled with doors. Yuna felt a twitch of curiosity about what's behind the doors.

"A maid is going to pick you up and you are going to go and have a bath before the dinner. Don't wash your hair though, it won't dry off on the right time and it smells clean anyway." Izuna said nonchalantly. Yuna felt her eyebrow twitch.

"It smells clean? So you sniffed it instead of just looking if it seems clean?" Yuna asked. Izuna looked like he was about to answer when a woman stepped out from one of the rooms. She was followed by some steam. Izuna's smile didn't disappear.

"She's all yours Saia, make sure she looks good." Izuna walked off without a second glance. The maid called Saia smiled and moved out of the doorway.

"Please enter, Yuna-Sama. I have already prepared a bath for you." She said softly. Yuna felt a bit weird when someone from a different clan called her 'Yuna-Sama'. She walked in and glanced around briefly. In the floor was a hot, steaming bath and besides it were everything you needed to clean yourself. She saw that Saia had already prepared something for her to wear after the bath. Yuna looked over her shoulder to see Saia close the door, but she didn't turn around. Yuna took it as a sign and quickly got out of her clothes and sat in the bath. Saia turned around, but stayed by the door.

"Call me just Yuna, if it's okay with you." She said calmly and took a bar of soap. She didn't saw Saia's face, but she heard her move a few times.

"Yuna...when you're done with your bath please wear the clothes I prepared for you. They are just to move to your bedroom and then I'll help you get dressed into something more proper." Saia didn't seem older than 30...she looked more like 27. Yuna washed her body as quickly as possible. The soap smelled a lot like Sakura petals. She looked around for a towel and Saia noticed that. The woman walked to a cupboard and got one and hastily placed it to the edge of the bath before turning her back to Yuna.

"My apologies for the inconvenience, I promise that it won't happen again." She said carefully. Yuna dried off her body and put on the clothes that were on the bench.

"Relax Saia, things like that happen." She said with a smile on her lips. Saia hanged the towel to dry before she motioned Yuna to follow her outside. They walked through another set of corridors to a part of the building that was quieter than the rest of it. Saia slid open the door and motioned Yuna to go in first. After she walked in Saia did the same and closed the door behind them.

Yuna couldn't hide her surprise. The room was huge, way bigger than her previous bedroom. It had two different closets, and in the middle of them was a full length mirror. There was a double bed, a book self and a small dressing table with another mirror and a chair. There was a door to the balcony as well. Yuna noticed that there weren't any plants.

"Madara-Sama made a few modifications to the room. Now please sit down on that chair over there, I have to fix your hair." Saia said politely. Yuna did as she was told and sat down. The woman didn't waste any time and in a short amount of time Yuna's hair was in a neat bun with a white flower to decorate it. Yuna wasn't given time to look at herself for long because Saia already put her in front of the mirror and got out the kimono.

Yuna had worn a kimono on several occasions before so she knew already the layers of clothing. Putting on the kimono took a little bit more time than the hair, but it was worth it. The light blue kimono was decorated with white flowers. Saia was done with the kimono and took a few steps back to give Yuna some space.

Even though Yuna hated the engagement, Madara and everything about him she couldn't help but to smile.

"Saia you're very good. Did you pick this?" She asked with a smile on her face. Her eyebrow rose when she didn't hear a response.

"I picked it. It doesn't look as bad as I thought it would." Yuna frowned on the familiar voice and turned around to see Madara on the doorway. Saia was bowing deeply with her head down and eyes on the floor. Madara stepped in and Saia straightened up, but still kept her head down.

"Get out and do something useful." Madara ordered in a strong voice. Saia didn't flinch. She bowed again to both of them before walking out of the room quickly, closing the door behind her. Yuna frowned at Madara.

"She was being very useful to me. What do you want to talk about anyway?" Yuna said. Madara frowned but he walked over to the bed and sat down on it, leaning back a bit. Yuna just now noticed that he was dressed rather formally as well. She noticed Madara looking her from head to toe.

"Don't embarrass me or yourself tonight. You're on my territory now and my word counts." Madara said. His voice was calm, but Yuna could sense the threat in it.

"And what if I decide to play a little trick?" She asked out of curiosity. Madara's eyes flashed to her and the pleasant mask was gone, replaced by his true emotions.

"Don't play with my patience Yuna since I'm not a very patient person. Do as I say and your life will be rather enjoyable here." Yuna snorted and her eyes looked right into Madara's cold, harsh eyes. His look wasn't mocking anymore like it was last night.

"I highly doubt that my life can be enjoyable here in any way. I'm not getting on my knees like everyone else." Yuna said with a determined voice. Madara's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move. He wasn't used to people talking back to him so freely.

"I have no problem hurting you if I have to." He said calmly. Yuna felt her confidence sway, but only for a small second. Madara noticed it and a smirk appeared on his lips. Exactly like it was supposed to be.

**Please review, is everyone in character? Do you find anything that might need improving? **


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Yuna took a sip from her glass and sighed, looking around the room. It was a large room with two long dining tables near each wall, and one smaller dining table was in the end of the room. Behind that table sat Yuna and Madara. She got a perfect view of the room and the people in it. The room was filled with chatter and laughter. It seemed like the only serious one was Madara. He didn't look angry just...serious. Izuna was sitting on Madara's right and some older people on his left.

"Are you planning to have kids, Yuna?" One on Madara's left asked. Madara's eyes moved to Yuna slowly and she stared back blankly.

"Excuse me...I don't mean to be rude but I just met him yesterday and usually you don't think of having kids with someone that soon." She said in a calm tone. The woman looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Madara frowned and didn't even try to hide his anger. The moment was cut by Izuna who started laughing. All of them turned to him, the only one who seemed to enjoy the food and company there.

"Amaya please forgive Yuna-Chan. She did meet him briefly yesterday, and I'm pretty sure that they had a lot to talk about. That subject probably slipped their minds." Izuna said and took another bite of his fish. The woman named Amaya nodded with a small smile on her lips. Yuna felt a bit relieved that Izuna saved the day, because in her opinion if she thought of having sex with Madara then...that would make her a whore.

"Oh my apologies Izuna-San, I thought that the two had met before the engagement." She said. Yuna didn't feel like the woman is going to let that slip. She stared down to her plate with a blank look. Yuna simply couldn't bring herself to eat. Madara gazed at Amaya.

"No, we didn't meet beforehand, but I'm sure that we're going to have at least one child." He answered in a stern voice. Amaya felt pleased inside of her. She didn't think much of the girl, but the woman knew that Madara knew very well what he had to do. Yuna looked up to Madara, but their eyes didn't meet. Madara avoided her for the rest of the evening.

Yuna was asked many questions throughout the entire night. Some were about simple personal information like age or her ninja rank. Yuna lost the feeling that it's a dinner. It seemed more like a place where they found out all the information they could to screw her later.

Formal farewells were told and finally they could go to sleep. Even though Yuna was dead tired she had no idea what Madara was going to do. He didn't look very peaceful as he was dragging Yuna by the arm through the halls. The woman didn't even try to pull her hand away. It would've been pointless.

The familiar deserted hallway arrived way too soon. Madara pulled the door open and pushed Yuna in roughly. He slammed the door shut and walked up to Yuna who stood with her back straight. Madara's hand reached out and with one finger he tilted Yuna's head up a little bit. She could see annoyance in his eyes.

"Tell me Yuna, why do you think we keep you here? Why do you think we are wasting time on this arranged marriage?" He asked calmly, looking into Yuna's eyes. She didn't know what Madara wanted to hear.

"I was thinking on asking the exact same thing from you." She said finally. Madara's hand moved quickly and Yuna felt a sting on her cheek. She flew a few feet away and hit the ground. Madara was holding back, if he weren't then Yuna's head would be off.

"Don't play with my nerves!" Madara pressed through gritted teeth. Yuna shut her mouth tight and looked up to him with a blank expression. She touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers carefully. It didn't hurt that bad anymore. Madara walked past her and to the closet where he started undressing.

"When someone asks you a question you give them the answer they expect. The only reason we need you is to bear children." He said calmly and changed into a pair of black pants. Yuna blushed and looked away. It was like he had no shame.

"Then go and find some other woman." She said slowly, but with a strong voice to get her point across. She got up slowly and strolled to the table and started to take off the decorations and hairclips. Yuna didn't think that she could sleep very well tonight. She realized that the room isn't private a bit before the dinner ended. She pulled the comb through her hair slowly and sighed. She saw Madara's reflection from the mirror and he wasn't looking happy.

"Stop being so stubborn, you're bringing it all on your own." Madara snapped at her. Yuna placed the comb down and proceeded in trying to get out of the kimono. Madara noticed it but didn't try to help. Instead he went in the bed already. Yuna looked at his back. Most of it was covered by his extremely long hair. It took longer than usual, but after some time Yuna managed to get out of the kimono. It fell on the floor in one pile. She quickly put something on before she tried to fold the kimono.

Note the word tried. Yuna sighed and slid her hand over the silky fabric. She gave up and put everything on the chair in front of the dressing table. The girl straightened up and looked over her shoulder to the bed where Madara was. His eyes were following her every movement. Yuna stood there, not quite sure what to do. An amused smirk was on Madara's lips.

"Come to bed already, I bet you're tired." He said and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. Madara didn't find it difficult to sleep in the same bed with a woman he just met. He did it countless times before with a new woman almost every night. The next day they were always gone and Madara never contacted them again. He wasn't interested in their futures, even though a few of them got pregnant from that one night stand. Since not one of those women were worth marrying the children were worthless to him. Yuna walked over to the bed and grabbed the pillow to leave, but Madara pulled her back in the bed.

Yuna struggled and tried to get out of his iron grip, but one of the things that Madara didn't lack was brute strength. While holding Yuna with his left hand Madara used his right hand to pull the covers over Yuna's body.

"Stop squirming and suck up the fact that you're going to have to share a bed with me for the rest of your life!" Madara said. His hand was holding Yuna so strongly that the woman was already in pain. She bit in her lip to keep the tears back. She didn't like this; she didn't like this at all.

Yuna hadn't made a very big deal out of it for a while because it hadn't occurred to her fully. She didn't know what was going to wait for her in the Uchiha compound, but just with those few hours Yuna realized that the possibility to be happy here was nearly zero, and Madara wasn't going to change. He was going to be the bad tempered, psychotic, controlling asshole for the rest of her life. She stopped struggling and finally Madara let go of her.

He pulled the covers over his shoulders and closed his eyes. Yuna had her back to his face. She carefully moved to the very edge of the bed and put her head on the pillow, looking at the door. It was the only thing she saw under that angle. The walls were made of paper and wood. That warm coloured combination usually looks beautiful, but in that room and in the dark Yuna's eyes could only make out the edges.

She stayed up for hours, simply looking at the door until it was too dark to see even with your eyes open. Yuna watched it for such a long time that she didn't need the light to know what the picture looked like. She didn't cry, the mood to cry was gone and she was hungry.

Now it seemed foolish that she skipped dinner. Yuna mentally scolded herself for not thinking on the consequences. She didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. For a moment Yuna thought of leaving, just running away. The balcony door was so close, all she had to do was to get up and slide it open.

For a second Yuna really thought that she's going to get up and leave, but she then remembered Madara who was just a bit away from her. His breathing was slow, his chest rising and falling and his eyes were close, but Madara hadn't moved an inch and Yuna wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not. She didn't think that escaping would be that easy. Uchiha definitely has guards outside and if she got caught it would be very bad.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Madara wasn't holding her prisoner. She could leave any time, and even if she did escape where could she go? Asking the village permission to leave the village wasn't possible because they would only send her back to Madara. Yuna didn't have any relatives outside. She rolled herself on her back and pulled the covers up to her chin. It was like being kept prisoner in her own village, a prisoner who actually has freedom.

Yuna knew that to escape she needs to make some research, a lot of research and preparations, but first she will try to live with Madara and see how it turns out. After an hour she could finally fall into a light sleep.

To her it felt as if she closed her eyes only for a second before someone shook her. Yuna only moaned before turning on her other side. There was a small pause before she was slammed out of the bed and on the floor. That woke her up. She opened her eyes and glared at Madara who was still sitting under the covers with a neutral look.

"What the hell was that for you asshole?" Yuna shouted and slowly got herself up. She walked to the balcony and slid the door open. It was a sunny morning, but the balcony was in the shadows. Yuna left the door open and grabbed the comb from the table and started brushing through her hair. Madara frowned but leaned back against the wall.

"You wouldn't wake up you immature woman." He spat back at her. Yuna snorted and rolled her eyes before yawning wide. She had no idea what time it was.

"You simply nudged me without giving me time to wake up." Yuna mumbled back. Madara frowned and got out of the bed. Yuna looked away from him because she couldn't help but to notice his toned body. It didn't have as many scars as usual warriors did, a clear sign stating that Madara was stronger than average people. He put on a shirt when someone knocked on the door before opening it. Yuna looked over her shoulder to see Saia there with her head low. She brought in a tray with breakfast and placed it on the balcony before leaving without a word.

Yuna turned around to put the comb back on the table but she stopped and leaned closer to the window. There was a small bruise on her cheekbone. Yuna poked it, but it didn't hurt a lot. She straightened up and walked to the balcony to have something to eat. Yuna was quite literally ready to eat anything. Madara didn't say anything and grabbed a bowl of miso and drank it in a few big gulps.

Even Yuna was surprised how fast he ate. It seemed like a long time habit from times when it doesn't matter if it tastes good but if it'll give you some energy. Yuna was only halfway done but Madara was already tapping his finger on the table impatiently.

"Is there anything important scheduled on today?" She asked carefully between a gulp. Madara wasn't looking at her anymore. Yuna noticed that his finger wasn't tapping anymore.

"I have quite a lot of important things scheduled. You can do whatever you want." Madara snapped at her. Yuna flinched but sighed. The way he acted didn't seem justified to her, even if he was under a lot of pressure plus the marriage. That didn't give him the right to treat people like dirt. She tilted her head.

"If you're in hurry then get lost. I won't come back before late night in that case." Madara's hand shot out, but he didn't hit Yuna. Instead he slammed a glass cup against the wall. It shattered and fell on the ground. Yuna was startled, but didn't say a word. Madara got up and left the room without a word.

A few minutes after he left Yuna heard someone knock on the door before dashing in.

"Yuna-san are you alright?" Yuna heard Saia's worried voice just a few seconds before she was at the balcony. Her face looked relieved for a second before she noticed the bruise on Yuna's cheek.

"Yeah, he just broke a cup that's all. I hope it wasn't too expensive." Yuna said and looked at the shards on the ground. Saia got a small towel and gathered the shards carefully on that.

"No, we don't use the best items around Madara-sama." Saia said calmly. She jumped and looked at Yuna slowly.

"Please don't tell Madara-sama that I said this." Yuna smiled and nodded. She finished up with breakfast and sighed. Yuna got up and flexed her muscles a bit. Saia gathered everything and was about to leave but stopped.

"I'm sorry for not helping you remove the kimono yesterday, but Madara dragged you away and...Ah I keep making mistakes." Saia sighed and looked in front of her. She was afraid of Madara, and Yuna was so close to Madara and she simply didn't want to be the one Madara pours his anger on. That left her in a dilemma, either be a bad servant or be a servant who is safe.

"Yeah, you do keep making mistakes. You don't have to be afraid of Madara...he probably won't do anything to you." Yuna said with a blank tone. She threw the clothes she slept with into the closet and replaced them with a tank and shorts.

"I'm going out; I'll most likely come back in the evening or so."

In the darkness of the night it was hard to make out anything. The moon was behind the clouds. The door of the balcony slid open and a man and a woman staggered in. He pushed her back up against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him while allowing his hands to explore her body. She felt exposed in a way because she was entirely naked. Her clothes were on the ground...somewhere. She didn't pay much attention when he removed them.

His hands moved exactly to the right spots. It was like he knew the woman's every soft spot that made her moan and ask for more. She knew his reputation even before meeting him and that didn't affect her in any way. The way he whispered soft words in her ear was like a spell. No other man thought of things like that.

She moaned softly when he sucked on her left nipple while massaging her right breast before he moved back up to her lips. She removed his shirt and let it drop on the ground. They even hadn't made it to the bed and she was already naked. Another moan escaped her lips when she felt him insert two fingers inside of her. An amused smirk appeared on his lips when he saw the face she made when he moved his fingers inside of her, moving them out and in. He pulled them out and felt her hot breath on his chest.

Her hands reached down and unbuttoned his pants. The man stepped out of them and they moved towards the bed. He backed and lied down on his back with the woman on top. She kissed him and pulled her fingers through his hair. For one night he was hers. She felt him harden against her inner thigh. Her hands trailed down his toned body. He leaned in and the woman yelped when she felt a stinging feeling on her neck.

It was hard to understand which one was the selfish one, which one got more pleasure out of it.

"Something for you to remember me darling." He said quietly. The woman giggled and moved her hand down inside of his boxers and slid her fingers over his full length before squeezing it gently and moving her hand. She played with him only for a short time just like he played with her earlier. With the other hand she started to pull the boxers down. Just when she was about done removing them the door opened. In the doorway stood another woman. Yuna couldn't really see clearly in the darkness, but she could clearly make out Madara's figure on the bed, with an unknown woman on top of him. Yuna slowly took a few steps back before she broke into a run. The woman looked at the doorway with a tilted head.

"Who was that Madara?" She asked. Madara felt a twitch of annoyance, she ruined the mood. He forgot that Yuna was going to sleep in his bed from now on.

"My fiancé, if you need to know." Madara said with a blank tone. The girl giggled and leaned down to his face. The tips of her long hair tickled his face. She kissed him shortly before pulling away with a grin on her lips.

"You're such a cruel man." She moved down. The corner of Madara's mouth twitched. Maybe Yuna didn't kill the mood completely. He just hoped that she won't come back later. His thoughts were interrupted when a surge of familiar pleasure washed over him. Madara moaned and his back arched. She was enjoying it as much as he was.

**Any critique? Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Yuna's lips curled into a bitter smile when she slowly came out of her light sleep. She felt simply repulsed when she saw Madara there on the bed, so exposed to the world with a woman. He simply had no shame. Anyone could've walked on them, but no one would simply walk into Uchiha Madara's room in the middle of the night. She didn't want to go back, but it was still sunrise and Yuna was tired. She pushed her body off the wooden floor.

Yesterday when she ran away her legs led her to the bathing section of the house. The air was warm and she had no problems sleeping there. Yuna couldn't understand why she felt so bitter. Was it because it was dawning to her that it was most likely going to happen even after they marry each other?

She had no idea what to tell him when they meet today. She could imagine his arrogant face staring back at her, eyes bored with his chin on the palm of his left hand.

"I guess Madara forgot about you." Yuna snapped out of her mind when she heard a familiar amused voice. She looked up to the face of Uchiha Izuna; he resembled his brother so much that it was like looking at Madara himself.

"Why do you sound so happy and why on earth are you up so early?" Yuna asked the two questions, surprised how hoarse her voice was. She wanted something to drink. Izuna's smile disappeared and it was replaced by an unreadable neutral expression.

Yuna put her hand on the wall for support before she pushed herself up lightly. Izuna walked along with her in a slow pace as they left the warm part of the building.

"I wish I were there to see your face yesterday...He usually brings home a woman or two every week if he isn't busy." Izuna smoothly avoided Yuna's second question. The girl felt a twitch of annoyance inside of her.

"That sounds rather cruel coming from you." Yuna noted. Izuna's face looked mocking.

"It's amusing, what's happening between you and Madara." He said with a small chuckle. Yuna looked up to him with a confused expression. When she met him, it felt like Izuna would be better, someone who could provide good advice, but now Yuna was quite convinced that listening to Uchiha Izuna would be a very horrible mistake because no one can predict what his true intentions are.

"Could you lead me to the kitchens?" She asked Izuna softly. A simple request that Izuna couldn't decline since no one else wasn't up at that hour, except for the cooks and maids who had more than enough duties to do. Yuna had no intention in seeing Madara, or talking to him for the rest of the day.

She wanted to bang her head against the wall, because doing it to Madara was impossible. Not talking to him will most likely anger him, talking to him will just amuse him. Only someone like Sayu would know how to turn the situation around.

Izuna wasn't happy with her reaction. He wanted to see some tears and crying on the shoulder while hoping for support. Nevertheless he guided her through the corridors to the servants' section of the compound. Izuna stopped a bit away from the corridor.

"Your servant should be in the kitchen." Izuna said shortly before leaving. Yuna's eyes followed him until he took a turn on the right and was out of her sight. She looked ahead of herself and started following the delicious smells that lingered in the air.

Yuna's hand lingered on the door for a moment before she slid it open. The kitchen was just as big as she expected it to be. The women working there were far too busy to notice a small woman like her slip in. She was almost invisible there. Yuna noticed a younger boy sit in the corner on a stool with a stern expression of boredom. Yuna walked up to him and leaned down to his level. The boy's eyes looked into her blue eyes with surprise.

"Do you know a woman called Saia? Could you ask her to come here for a second?" Yuna asked softly not to disturb anyone in the kitchen. It seemed like the news about her status had gotten out because to boy jumped up and bowed deeply before running off to another direction.

It only took a minute before Yuna saw a familiar figure moving quickly towards her direction with a slightly confused expression. She slowed down before Yuna, but didn't look her in the eyes.

"Yuna-san...can I help you with anything at this hour?" Saia asked quietly. Yuna glanced around for the boy but he wasn't in her sight. Quickly she thought of her options before she carefully sat down on the stool in the corner.

"Could I eat my breakfast here, as soon as possible?" Yuna requested politely. Saia bowed and was about to walk away but stopped to look back at Yuna. She hesitated for a second but dropped her question and rushed away.

Yuna slowly sunk on the chair and sighed. She closed her eyes and relaxed a bit.

She didn't realize if she fell asleep but the familiar strong presence forced her to open her eyes. Yuna jumped when her eyes were looking right at his future, cheating husband. A displeased look was on his face and he leaned down a bit, making Yuna instinctively lean further against the wall. She was completely cornered. Only one name crossed Yuna's mind. Uchiha Izuna, the only person who knew her location.

"Is my mere presence that repulsing to you?" He asked quietly, threatening. Yuna didn't know what response he desired. His hand moved around her arm and yanked her up sharply. Madara's eyes moved to Saia who was just a few steps away. The older woman's eyes shot down on the ground immediately. Madara's eyes lingered on her for a moment.

"My fiancé decided that she'll enjoy her meal with me." Madara said harshly. Yuna looked up to his face, he was furious. Saia nodded hastily. If it was Madara's word against Yuna's request then Saia chose Madara's side. Even though he was cruel, cold and manipulative he was still the one that protected the clan.

Yuna allowed him drag her like a rag doll through the corridors. Her failing attempts to protest against Madara's firm grip were useless. They reached his room fast, too fast for her. He slid the door open and forced her inside.

Yuna staggered forward and her eyes slid over the room. She turned around to be face to face with Madara. He looked down to her calmly before she kicked his shin, not with full strength but enough for it to hurt. Madara's eyes flashed but he didn't do anything.

"You asshole couldn't do that whore in some other place besides my bed!" Yuna shouted at him before she turned around to leave, but Madara grabbed her by the hair forcing her on her knees. Yuna shut her mouth tight to prevent any sound escaping. Madara forced her head back so she could see him clearly.

Cruel, there was no sign of mercy or amusement in his eyes. Madara's hair was so long. Most of it was hanging down on his back, but a few shorter strands fell onto Yuna's face. She waited calmly, even though her heart was pounding against her ribcage while waiting for his next move.

"You're in no place to tell me what to do." He said slowly, but clearly for her to understand every word. Yuna was afraid he is going to tear off her hair and snap her spine. Madara let go of Yuna's hair when he heard Saia's steps outside the door.

Yuna was on her knees, panting. She heard Madara open the door roughly and grabbing the tray from Saia's hands before slamming the door shut again. He did managed not to spill anything.

Madara placed the tray next to Yuna and pulled her up roughly to sit. Yuna grabbed the cup of water on it and gulped it down. Madara sat down next to her.

"You know I hate men who sleep with many women." Yuna mused out loud.

Madara's eyes moved to her slowly and the corner of his mouth turned up.

"You know I hate women who can't satisfy their husbands." He shot back smoothly. Like yesterday he finished his meal far too quick. Yuna took her time since it was still early morning.

"That doesn't justify you being unfaithful." Yuna said calmly and placed an almost empty bowl of soup down. Madara leaned closer and pulled Yuna's hair away from her neck before planting a soft kiss.

She tried to pull away from him but Madara held her in place.

"Then how about you become a good wife and keep me happy?" He asked. Madara's tone sounded bored, but his lips were curved into a grin.

"Kiss me." Madara ordered Yuna.

Her eyes went wide for a moment but she put her mask back on quickly. Madara was holding her quite strongly against him to prevent her from escaping. Nevertheless she tried to sink her nails into his skin to escape but Madara twisted his arm away before she could really hurt him and pinned her on the ground, using his left hand to hold Yuna's hands above her head.

She had never felt so helpless before. Even though she was a ninja, fighting back to him was pointless. Madara leaned in to her face, but left a small gap between their lips for her to move her head just a little bit up.

"But my breath stinks you asshole!" Yuna whined as an attempt to make him let go. Madara's eyes narrowed and the amused look was gone again.

The warmth that lingered in the room before was gone. Yuna shut her mouth tight for a second before she sighed and leaned in.

Madara didn't hesitate. His tongue slipped inside her mouth. Yuna opened her eyes with a glint in them and...Did something she was going to regret later. She bit his tongue as hard as she could, but only for a second. Madara did exactly what she wanted to and pulled away sharply before slapping her...very hard.

He wasn't holding back this time. Madara hit her exactly on the same spot he did before. Yuna flinched when her head swung on the other side. Madara let go of her hands and got off of her and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to his level and forced her to look at him.

"You won't reject me. Not here, not in the wedding and you won't reject me in the future. If you behave you can see that I can be a very good lover." Madara said with a low voice. Yuna felt her hands tremble.

She didn't believe any word he said. No freedom, no mercy and only his will mattered. The girl felt a tear slide down the side of her face.

Madara noticed it. There was a disgusted look on his face. He hated weak women who cried...but he had to admit that she wasn't a weakling either. He let go of her and allowed her to drop on the floor. Madara walked away from her and sat on the balcony, not sparing a single glance to her.

Yuna stayed on the ground, calming herself down. She thought that this was her breaking point, the point where she will break down and cry, but the single tear that came was also the only tear. She wiped it away hastily and got up.

Yuna strolled to the dressing table and got the comb. Madara tangled her hair quite well. She combed through it using quite a lot of force. It caused some hair to fall out, but Yuna didn't mind at that time.

She put her hair up into a high ponytail, leaving her face fully exposed. The bruise was still on her face, but she didn't find any point in hiding it. Trying to hide something will only make it more visible.

Yuna heard Saia come in and take the tray and leave without a word.

The girl rested her hand on her palm. Her blue eyes were looking at her reflection numbly. She heard Madara get up from the balcony and walk back inside. He stopped at the doorway.

"Come, there are things to do that require your presence." Madara said. Yuna looked up to him for a moment, think whether to push her luck or obey. The girl finally got up just because she had nothing better to do. Once they were out in the hall Yuna relaxed a bit. He wouldn't do anything in front of anyone else.

"And what are the things that require my presence?" She asked in a stern voice. Madara looked ahead of him.

"The seamstress is coming today to take your measures. We need a kimono for the wedding ceremony." Yuna held back a grimace. The wedding ceremony...she wasn't looking forward to that. She felt her stomach tighten when she thought of the upcoming wedding _night_.

"How are you going to explain my little bruise when I'd simply walk up to my mother?" Yuna asked. Madara's eyes moved to her. Useless questions were annoying, and the answer was too obvious.

"Madara what do you want from me?" Yuna asked quietly. She didn't look forward to her life with that treatment, but she simply couldn't figure out...what the hell he desired. Madara opened the door and nudged Yuna in.

Inside was a young woman who was sitting on a mat on the floor. On the table was a thick book, a pencil and a paper and a measuring tape. It was quick, she was a skilful woman. She took her measures and wrote everything down before she asked Madara to come there as well.

Inside of her book were small squares of different fabrics as samples. She asked them to choose the fabrics. Only that Madara did most of the work since he had a better eye. The woman thanked both of them and left in a hurry, leaving the two alone in the room. Yuna's eyes slowly moved to Madara.

"I can ask you again Madara, what do you want from me?" His eyes flickered to her for a second.

"Nothing for now...since you're not my wife yet."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

A small smirk appeared on Izuna's lips. He straightened up and wiped off the sweat drops on his forehead. Madara's eyes narrowed, and he slowly turned around. Yuna was leaning against the tree with a small mocking smirk on her lips. Madara turned around sharply and walked to Yuna who stood there with no visible signs of fear, but inside she felt her heart beating a bit faster when Madara got closer. Saia was a few feet away from Yuna.

"Don't you have anything else better to do?" He snapped at the woman. Yuna raised an eyebrow and her eyes looked innocently back to Madara. Oh that gorgeous face, so untouchable.

"I just wanted to see my dear husband's skills myself. It would be better for me if I had a strong man next to me." She replied innocently. Saia glanced at both of them carefully. Madara snorted at Yuna's statement. He did his research after he found out her identity and she was a ninja with skills a bit over the average, but not the shiniest person out of the jounins.

When Madara found out about her skills he was partly pleased and at the same time displeased. She will always be weaker than him, but there can be situations where she has to be able to stand up for herself. Madara, for a short moment, thought of sparring with Yuna. It would be the easiest way to put her in the right place. The match wouldn't even last a minute.

"Very well, I'm sure that you won't be bored." Madara pressed through his teeth and walked back to the field where Izuna stood with a pleasant smile on his lips. Madara sat down and so did Izuna. Both of them relaxed and closed their eyes to...

_...Meditate? _Yuna shouted in her mind. She snorted, but didn't move from her spot. Izuna didn't open his eyes but the smirk from his lips was gone.

"You should treat your wife better. People are going to notice it sooner or later." Izuna warned Madara briefly. It wasn't meant as a scolding, but as a recommendation. Madara felt a twitch of amusement.

"She's not my wife yet. I have no obligations to treat her as a person." Madara said calmly yet Izuna could feel the rage behind his words. Madara hadn't changed at all through the years, as stubborn as always. Izuna didn't think that Madara would change, but there was always a faint hope.

"What happens after the marriage?" Izuna questioned. Madara still felt her chakra near the tree. She hadn't moved an inch from her spot.

"Is she even a woman? Someone who acts like that can't be a woman." Madara snarled. He almost opened his eyes to spare a hateful glance at her direction. Izuna sighed.

"I find her actions fairly logical for someone in her situation." There was a slight hint of amusement in Izuna's tone. He tried to hide it but Madara knew that tone very well.

"Are you saying that I should respect her?" Madara asked. He felt quite angry already, and if it were anyone else besides Izuna then that persons head would be slammed against the hard ground. Izuna sighed.

"You haven't shown her any kindness. Only thing you did was hit her and then show her that you aren't a man loyal to his wife," Izuna paused for a moment "...The only logical response would be defence, but I think you two are good together since she won't do as you tell her to." Madara's patience snapped. Izuna's insults were a big hit against his pride. Izuna felt the change of attitude.

Yuna couldn't even see them move but in a blink Izuna was 10 feet away and where he once sat was Madara's fist. Izuna had a pleasant smile on his face while Madara's eyes had a murderous glint in them.

"I think that this training is over. I was thinking on asking Yuna-Chan out for dinner..." Izuna's voice trailed off. Yuna snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I refuse." Yuna said blankly. Izuna chuckled softly. He wouldn't seriously try to ask her out. Madara was like a dog, when you give him a bone he will sink his teeth in and hold on. Even if he doesn't like her, Madara would still keep her to himself. Izuna decided to finish training and left the grounds to take a bath. Madara's jaw was clenched, but something in his expression made Yuna hold back a statement. He left as well, leaving Yuna alone on the field.

"Yuna-san...do you maybe want to explore the compound? I'm sure many people would like to know you better." Saia said. She knew that Yuna didn't really have anything to do, and even though they weren't distant they were still not friends. Saia was determined to become closer with Yuna because that's what it's all about. A master has to trust her servant completely. Yuna got up and nodded.

Together they walked back inside. It was just midday.

Yuna found it almost relaxing to have someone by your side all the time. Back at home she didn't mind being alone without a maid, but here were she knew no one it was good to have someone who was there.

Inside her mind she didn't believe that Saia was completely trustable, she hadn't done much yet to convince Yuna that she can tell Saia her deepest secrets.

It took only a second for Saia to change from a maid to a guide who explained everything to her.

She introduced Yuna the libraries, healing centres and even meeting rooms. Saia sometimes talked about the short history the clan had. Saia led Yuna to the training grounds, were young boys ranging from age five up to ten training in a large group.

Yuna felt a smile appear on her lips. She leaned against the wall near her and watched the graceful movements those boys made. It seemed like every one of them was very talented.

Their teacher was a man not over thirty years old with short black hair and eyes. Like most of the Uchiha men he looked fairly handsome. His eyes noticed Yuna standing there. The man assigned the boys to spar in pairs before he left the fields for a moment to come to Yuna.

"It's an honour that Yuna-sama found time to visit us. My name's Uchiha Tatsui." He bowed politely with a soft smile on his lips. Yuna smiled and removed her eyes from the boys for a while.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Your students are very talented as I can see." She complimented. Tatsui smiled.

"Yuna-sama is very kind. The boy's have been very curious about Yuna-sama. I'm sure that they are very happy that you found time to come and watch them personally." Yuna couldn't help it but to feel a warm feeling in her stomach. Tatsui sounded sincere to her. It sounded like he thought of the boys as if they were his own children.

"Oh time is something I have. I'd love to come see them again sometimes. You seem to care about them very much." Tatsui smiled politely and bowed deeply.

"I apologize, Yuna-sama, but I have to leave now." He excused himself and returned to the boys. Yuna spun around and walked to another direction with Saia on her side.

"I'm sure that the boys will be very happy when the mistress visits them." Saia noted. Yuna sighed and shook her head.

"What do you think of Madara, Saia-san?" Yuna asked slowly, looking ahead of her. Saia didn't expect a question like that and was once again caught between her mistress and her master.

"I find Madara-sama magnificent. He's a strong leader and has a lot of influence almost everywhere." The corner of Yuna's mouth made a small twitch that escaped Saia.

"I wonder do people outside the Uchiha see him like that too...He's a great man but a lousy person." Saia's eyes widened. She hadn't heard anyone in the Uchiha say something like that. The women had admitted that he's a scary person but he cared very dearly for his clan, but no one had ever called him 'lousy' out loud. It took her a moment to gather herself again.

"Do you think that anyone outside the Uchiha even has the right to judge him? They haven't met him and don't know what kind of a person he is. I think that Izuna-sama is probably the only one who can understand him." Yuna felt a twitch inside her stomach. She didn't think that anyone should try to get to know him...most likely because they will be killed.

"They don't know him, but if he doesn't give a damn about people outside the Uchiha then that already makes him a lousy person." Yuna was stubborn and she knew it, but something in her mind wouldn't allow her to back down. Saia frowned.

"Do you care about the people you don't even know exist?" She asked. Yuna stopped for a moment. It was a fair question. For a moment Saia thought that she had gone too far.

"If I meet a stranger then I won't do anything to them unless they give me a reason to."

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

"Yuna-sama, there's some girl that claims to be your sister." An Uchiha man said. Yuna looked up from the book she was reading with a surprised face. She saw Eiko standing a bit away. Yuna got up and smiled.

"Eiko, long time no see!" It was a relief to see someone familiar again. The guard frowned but after a slight hesitation left. Eiko smiled and ran to the open arms of her older sister.

"I wanted to see how the fancy mistress lives here." Yuna snorted and poked her forehead.

"No, you just wanted to see Yasu." Eiko blushed and pouted. The expression on her face made Yuna laugh and Eiko blushed even more.

"I was just going to have lunch. Shouldn't you be in school?" Eiko had a surprised look on her face and she then placed two fingers on her lips.

"Don't tell mother. I escaped for one lesson to come visit you. Mom said that it might not be polite of me to come here, but I haven't seen you out of this place so I just came here myself." Yuna sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I sometimes skipped classes too...even though it's not the right thing to do I'm still very happy that you came to visit me. Are you going back for the rest of the day later, or are you skipping the entire day?" She asked. Eiko paused for a moment. She was quite interested to see the inside of the compound, but school was very important. Yuna ruffled her hair.

"You can come back some other day when you have time so I can give you a tour of the place...If you have time before your next lesson I'd be really happy if you stayed here with me." Eiko smiled and nodded. Eiko sat down next to Yuna who turned herself towards Eiko.

"So...how is life without an older sister?" She asked. Eiko looked up to the sky and pouted.

"It's almost boring. Mom talks a lot about the Uchiha so I'm already starting to think that she's going to marry me off to someone as well. If it were Yasu then I probably wouldn't mind..." Eiko's voice trailed off. Yuna's eyes softened and she smiled.

"I wouldn't let her marry you off and besides...I highly doubt that the Uchiha will let more outsiders in like that, but if they do...then haven't you thought that maybe Yasu can be a lot different than you think in person?" Yuna asked. Eiko had a slightly hesitant expression on her face.

"If he treats me nicely then I'm ready to get over his flaws. It's a wife's job to keep everyone happy, but in the process she could turn out to be unhappy." Yuna sighed. It hurt her that her sister saw it that way. A smirk appeared on her lips.

"If Yasu ever cheats on you then I will kick his ass. A good wife can put her foot down and say no as well." Eiko giggled. Yuna hadn't changed, but even Eiko could see how she lit up as soon as she saw her little sister. Eiko didn't want to leave, just so she could keep Yuna happier for a little while longer.

They spent the afternoon laughing and just talking about things. The time passed, and even though it was time for Eiko to leave she simply couldn't. It seemed like a blink but suddenly the day had passed and it was already evening. Yuna never noticed a pair of dark eyes looking at her and Eiko calmly.

Yuna suddenly stopped laughing and looked up to the sky.

"Oh my I'm so sorry for keeping you here so long. I hope that mom won't be too hard on you since it was me who kept you here so long..." Eiko bit her lower lip before smiling and shaking her head.

"It was my decision. I won't tell her that I came here because then she will be really mad. I'll think of something." Eiko got up and so did Yuna.

She sent Eiko to the door where the girl put on her shoes before they said their farewells. Yuna laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Just look at us...Saying good bye like we won't see each other again." Eiko smiled and gave a last wave.

"I'll see you at the wedding, if not sooner." She didn't want to leave, but Eiko knew that the cheerful glow around Yuna won't leave when Eiko sees her. She left the compound, leaving Yuna standing alone in the dim corridor.

"Was that your little sister?" Yuna jumped when she heard the familiar voice and turned around sharply. Izuna was leaning against the wall with his trademark smile on his lips. Yuna frowned and crossed her hands on her chest almost in a defensive way.

"I'm simply asking because the two of you look fairly similar." Izuna said innocently. Yuna just now noticed that she was still holding the book she was reading before.

"Yeah, she's my little sister, but I'm sure you already knew." Yuna said calmly. Izuna smirked and tilted her head in a way that it almost looked innocent, but Yuna had already learnt that there was nothing innocent about that man.

"Maybe I did...I heard that you saw the little ones train today?" Izuna asked. Yuna sighed and frowned.

"Why are you asking about my day? Is it for your evil plan or for Madara's?" Izuna chuckled and leaned in towards Yuna's face and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face.

"Madara doesn't need to scheme against you. If he doesn't like something about you then he will say it without hesitation." Yuna took a step away from him with a stern look on her face.

"Tell me something I don't know." She snapped at Izuna before walking away. Izuna smirked, looking after Yuna.

_I guess I got caught this time..._


	6. Chapter 6

6.

Yuna looked in front of her. It was slowly occurring to her that this was it. She was only minutes away from Madara coming to pick her up and 'get it over with' as she liked to say. It slowly occurred to her that after the ceremony she can't predict what will happen then.

She was distant almost the entire day. Yuna didn't notice when Saia dressed her up into the wedding garment. She didn't notice when Saia, along with another maid, put her hair into a complex hairstyle. It was all simply a blur, just another fact you acknowledged but didn't think about later. It felt like going to work every day. You do it with a smile that has to be on your face but you fail to acknowledge the details of the day.

"Yuna-sama...you look beautiful..." Saia said. Yuna snapped out of her small hypnosis. Her eyes moved to the mirror near her. It reflected a young woman, a young beautiful woman wearing a beautiful garment in white and cream. A small smile appeared on her lips. They were painted faintly pink. Like a rose petal.

"You did a wonderful job, Saia-san. Are you going to be beside me after the wedding?" Yuna asked. Saia's eyes changed for a split second, but she covered it with a polite smile.

"No, Yuna-sama. Madara-sama is going to assign a guard to accompany you. It's the best for your safety." Yuna couldn't trace the emotions behind Saia's words. She wasn't sure if the maid had gotten attached to her, or was she happy that she'll be released from the duty.

"Oh, alright..." Was all that Yuna said. She didn't feel like trying to invade Saia's mind to ruin her reputation. Saia looked up from her lap.

"Don't do anything you will regret Yuna-sama. Try to regain the trust of the clan for your own good." Saia said quietly. Yuna laughed softly.

"Your clan doesn't trust me nor don't they care about me. They'll put on a good face because they fear Madara." Saia didn't have anything to say back. Yuna sighed and walked to the door. Her hands was about to reach out when Madara pulled the door open sharply. Yuna's eyes slid over him. Even she had to admit it, that he looked...magnificent. Madara's eyes narrowed.

"Not bad." He noted dryly. Yuna held back the urge to roll her eyes and walked out of the room. Side by side they walked through the corridors. Madara glanced at Yuna only for a moment but a displeased look was already in his eyes.

"Stop looking like you're going to your sister's funeral." He sneered. Yuna clenched her fist, holding back the urge to punch something.

"You're not really the one to talk." She snapped back. Not even on their wedding day could those two suck it up and just act like civilised people. With just that short dialogue the almost peaceful air had turned hostile. They didn't exchange any words anymore.

"Is this going to be big?" Yuna asked gloomily. The corner of Madara's mouth twitched, but it turned into a small smirk.

"You should kiss the earth I'm walking on, because the ceremony itself is private, but we're celebrating right after." Yuna straightened the sleeves of the kimono without a response. She did feel grateful but not grateful enough to thank him out loud. She was too prideful for that.

"Oh joy I'm getting married." Yuna said out loud with a sarcastic tone. Madara snorted.

"Be happy that it's me, not a 50 year old man who wants your body." Madara noted instead of smacking the woman for the annoying remarks. Yuna's head tilted on the side.

"Please do remember that you have implied that you're going to rape me soon. I could castrate a 50 year old something man and that would solve the problem. You on the other hand are too strong for that." Yuna held back a laugh. She tried not to imagine what people would say if they found out that the strong and cruel Uchiha Madara was castrated by his angry wife.

"Ungrateful little wrench!" He pressed through gritted teeth. Yuna ignored him. Madara felt almost relieved when they reached the room where the ceremony was held.

Without knocking Madara slid the door open and pushed Yuna inside. The girl stumbled a little but regained her posture quickly. Up front were a table with two seats and a priest sitting behind the table. He had a pleasant smile on his lips. It didn't make Yuna feel more welcome in any way. She walked forwards and sat down on her knees carefully. Madara sat down beside her. The priest had a small bowl with some tea in it.

"We have gathered here to unify this couple as one." He said in a calm tone. Yuna felt like he was saying the words too slowly, but she held herself back from saying anything because even she had some limits.

"I, Uchiha Madara, the leader of the Uchiha clan take this woman as the clan's mistress and my wife. Her family will be like my own." He said. Madara sounded blank and sincere the same time, but the sincerity was simple an act. The priest's eyes turned to Yuna, Madara simply looked ahead of him.

"I, Kunisada Yuna, take this man as my husband. His family will be like my own." She said smoothly. The priest picked up the bowl carefully and gave it to Yuna. She lifted it to her lips and took three small sips. She gave it back to the priest who passed it to Madara who did the same as Yuna. The priest placed the bowl on the table and took another one filled with cold water. He picked a small brush from the water and drew a symbol on their foreheads.

"May the gods bless you." He said. Yuna and Madara both bowed and...

It was all over. Yuna knew for sure that there was nothing to be done now. The priest was still gathering his belongings when Madara got up and pulled Yuna up forcefully as well. He pulled her out of the room and to some direction.

"Your family is here as well." He noted. Yuna didn't expect that. Her eyes shot up to Madara who either didn't notice or decided to ignore.

They walked to the middle of the Uchiha compound where a wide training field was turned to a wedding party. Empty tables covered with food, flowers everywhere and colourful lanterns made it feel like a festival.

Not everyone was allowed to come, only the closest members and the family heads were invited along with a few closer friends. When they arrived heads turned. Madara let go of Yuna's hand when he saw her eyes lit up. Her little sister Eiko ran from the crowd to Yuna. Madara didn't feel like it was his place to be there. Yuna smiled and hugged her younger sister.

"I got my ass kicked for visiting you, but I told that it was entirely your fault." She said with a giggle. Yuna rolled her eyes looked around to spot her parents. She saw them already coming to the sisters. Her mother had a soft, polite smile on her face while Yuna's father looked rather serious.

Her mother hugged her softly.

"I'm not sure if I should say congratulations, but stay strong will do I guess." She said carefully. Yuna smiled politely, simply because she had to. _You were the one who dragged me in this in the first place! _She shouted in her mind.

Yuna didn't notice that Madara was watching her from the distance. Izuna walked up to his brother with the usual pleasant smile on his lips.

"She looks almost happy. This is probably the gloomiest wedding I've ever seen. The people are happy but the bride and groom look like a cat was killed." Izuna said with a perfectly cheerful voice. Madara's eyebrow rose.

"It'll be over soon enough."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Even though it was the wedding celebration party of Madara and Yuna, the focus was on the two families bonding which outshined the couple. Both of them didn't mind really. Yuna had a small smile on her lips. It was only there because it was good manners. She couldn't even talk to her sister because the close relatives had to get to know each other. An arranged marriage was almost always for two families to merge or bond and to unify powers.

Yuna took a small sip of wine from the cup and placed it back on the table. She hated alcoholic drinks, but she couldn't spot any water or juice on the table. Madara was sitting next to her. That action was done again to be polite in front of others. Izuna sent Madara to sit next to Yuna because she was alone behind that table.

"Why are you assigning me a bodyguard? I'm quite happy with just Saia on my side." Yuna asked, breaking the silence that had lingered there for nearly an hour. Madara's eyebrow rose and a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Are you that attached to Saia?" He asked mockingly. Yuna's eyes moved to Madara's face.

"Stop avoiding the question. I'm simply asking why. I'm a ninja and even though I can't match up to you I'm not weak." She said in a calm tone, but there was a hint of annoyance. Yuna didn't enjoy that Madara treated her like a weak woman who can't put up a fight. Madara sighed.

"Stop being so protective about it, I'm assigning the bodyguard because otherwise it will be assigned by someone else. Saia though will be your maid, but she doesn't have to be by your side. It's simply the rule because if I were to die in battle then the clan's mistress is the one who has to rule the clan until they assign a new leader and that means that the mistress has to be safe at all times. Though you don't have to worry about the second part because Izuna is the next leader, and I won't get killed." He said calmly. Yuna frowned. Madara sounded confident...almost too confident.

"Confidence will get you killed." Yuna noted. Madara grinned.

"You really haven't seen me in battle, and probably won't because the Uchiha doesn't send women to war." Madara replied calmly. Yuna could tell that he was in a good mood. She didn't know why though.

"So, who are you going to assign as my guard?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. Madara's expression didn't change.

"Uchiha Mamoru is his name, third best in genjutsu in the Uchiha clan." Madara watched Yuna's expression carefully. There was a hint of surprise in there.

"Does Mamoru know already that his abilities are being wasted on babysitting the mistress?" Yuna asked innocently. Madara's fist clenched and a deadly frown appeared on his forehead.

"You should be thankful. You don't really have a choice to refuse because it would be offensive of you to refuse someone so respected who was chosen by someone like me." His tone wasn't deadly, but it sounded more like a threat. Yuna's eyebrow rose and she smiled softly.

"When do I get to see the so called guard?" Yuna asked and plopped a berry into her mouth. She chewed it slowly, without much hurry.

"This is a wedding celebration. He is not allowed to attend such a private event." Yuna nodded slowly and noticed her sister wandering in the crowd all alone. She got up and quite quickly headed to her. Eiko turned to her with a smile on her lips. Yuna walked to her and leaned down to Eiko's ear.

"Yasu won't be here darling." She teased before blowing into Eiko's ear, making her jump in surprise with a red face.

"You know I hate when you do that! I had to remember so many names and faces...shouldn't this be your wedding party?" Eiko asked with a pout. Her hands were crossed on her chest childishly. Yuna allowed a laugh escape her lips.

"An arranged marriage is usually about the families, not the couple itself so it's natural that the wedding party is about the families as well. Believe me I don't want to be at the centre of attention." Eiko sighed and looked up to the sky. It was a clear night and you could see the stars quite clearly because the lighting on the training field wasn't too bright.

"Try to accept Madara...You're spending the rest of your life with him you know that right." Yuna looked at Eiko with a raised eyebrow before she grinned childishly.

"That has to be the most reasonable thing ever came out of your dirty little mouth." She mocked. Eiko blushed and held back the urge to openly smack Yuna. Before she could snap at her Yuna hugged Eiko.

"Come to visit me often alright? I'll be lonely without you...If you don't want to look lame wandering around with your old hag of a sister...just drop by to say hello. Do you promise?" She whispered in Eiko's ear. The young girl didn't understand that bitterness in her sister's voice. She always knew Yuna was a strong woman who could take on almost anything, but it sounded like she will break into pieces without her.

"You sound like you're facing the gallows. Of course I'll come to see you whenever I can." Eiko's hands were down on her sides. Yuna didn't mind. She just felt like she has to feel close to someone. It wasn't depression that was coming to her but fear. She didn't know much about the traditions and expectations of the clan.

Yuna let go of Eiko. A loud crashing noise interrupted her. She turned to look towards Madara's table like every other person in the room. Apparently he had slammed the cup he was holding to the ground. A startled Uchiha man was next to him. With just a second Izuna was next to Madara. Madara said something to him what Yuna didn't hear.

Izuna's eyes looked worried for a moment but he nodded. Madara got up and Izuna turned to the crowd with a polite smile.

"II have to apologize but apparently due to some circumstances we have to stop the celebrations. The Kunisada clan will be escorted out; the Uchiha council members please come to Madara and me." He said in a loud, but clear voice. Yuna was as confused as everyone else, but the Uchiha members looked more concerned than confused. She glanced at Eiko who smile apologetically before waving and running to their parents. Yuna didn't quite understand where she was supposed to go so she went to Madara before all of the council members had arrived.

"Madara what just happened?" Yuna asked from the already angered man. She was quite sure that he wasn't going to do anything in public. Instead of Madara Izuna answered Yuna's question instead.

"Our weaponry supply wagon was attacked and the clan members were all killed in an unusual way. It's nothing for you to worry about Yuna-sama. Please go to your room and rest." Yuna was surprised, shocked at the same time and even felt a little bit selfish happiness. That incident wasn't positive in any way, but it did steal her wedding night. She took a few steps back with a small pout on her lips. She turned around just to see all of her family and clan members leave. The council members hurried to Madara and everyone else left.

Some maids hurried to the field and started to clean up. Yuna slowly retreated to the edge of the field. Her eyes looked at the council along with Izuna and Madara. They explained the situation to them. It didn't take them very long to agree to send a small troop with both Izuna and Madara to investigate it.

"Yuna-sama, please allow me to escort you back to your room." She heard a man's voice. Yuna felt a bit startled but did her best not to show it. The man on her left was just an inch taller than Madara, but his body wasn't as muscular. The tips of his hair barely touched his shoulders. The man had onyx eyes that looked quite cold.

"You're Uchiha Mamoru if I'm correct?" Yuna asked. The man nodded and gestured Yuna to follow him. Before she left Yuna saw Madara walk to the opposite direction.

Mamoru led her through the halls. There were actually quite many people there. Some were hurrying around; others were maids or just wandering around. Madara's room was quite a bit away from everything and everyone else so it took them a few minutes to get there.

Saia was already waiting behind the door with a small bowl of water and some towels. When she saw Yuna she bowed. Mamoru walked past Saia and stayed next to the door. Yuna walked inside her room and Saia followed. Yuna heard her close the door behind her.

"Yuna-sama, I just heard that the celebration was cut short due to some circumstances. It's a pity that Madara-sama had to leave on his wedding day..." Saia was talking while she helped Yuna remove the kimono. The many layers didn't make it the most comfortable attire she had ever worn.

"He was in a good mood before the news. It's a pity that something like that happened. Now it has caused him a lot of trouble." Saia's hands moved quite quickly. Soon the kimono was off and Yuna got to change into a pair of shorts and a shirt. She wasn't very careful to save the hairdo because Saia was going to get rid of it soon anyway.

"Yuna-sama is so considerate, thinking about Madara-sama's feelings." Yuna sat down on the chair and Saia started pulling out the decorations and hairclips that held her hair in the bun. Yuna let a small laugh escape her lips.

"I'm not considerate...it's selfishness. I'm worried about myself, because when he gets back I highly doubt that he'll be in a good mood." Yuna had no idea what should she expect from Madara when he gets back. Saia sighed while brushing Yuna's hair.

"Yuna-sama should try to get along with Madara-sama, or her life will be very difficult here." Saia said. Yuna's eyebrow rose.

"He has nothing to offer me." Yuna didn't plan to hide it in front of Saia. The woman only smiled softly.

"Madara-sama has made you the clan's mistress. That is something any man can't offer." She pointed out. Yuna closed her eyes and sighed.

"Is that really something you look for in a man?" She asked with a small smile. She frowned for a second when Saia put the damp cloth against her eyelid and started wiping away the makeup on Yuna's face.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

Madara's eyes watched the gruesome scene in front of him. Every person near him could feel the pure, cold rage coming from him. No one dared to say anything. The Uchiha men who were transporting and protecting the wagon had their throats cut through. They were hung up on trees like decorations, a rope around one of their legs. All of them had their eyes gouged out. The scene reeked of blood and the smell of rotting bodies. The birds were already circling in the sky, waiting until they can get the food.

"What are you waiting for! Take them down!" Madara shouted to the men behind him. The men jumped before they quickly went to take the men down. Izuna's face was dead serious, and even he was beyond furious. Such mockery was too much for him. Madara walked forward to the weaponry wagon and pulled the doors open. His eyes scanned over the supplies with a deepening frown.

Izuna noticed the look on Madara's face and hurried to him. He looked at the inside of the wagon and frowned.

"On the first glance it seems like there's nothing missing here..." He said slowly for the message to sink in. Izuna's eyes moved to Madara's hands that were squeezing the steel doors hard. He could already see the shape of Madara's hands sink in.

"We have to get the bodies away from here and give them a proper funeral...I'll ask them to send men here to get the supplies." Izuna said and walked away. Almost all of the bodies were taken down and they were lined up on the ground, side by side with their eyes closed.

"I want some men here to deliver the weaponry and come back to deliver the bodies to the families!" Izuna said to the men who were there. All of them hurried to the wagon to transport it to the compound. Izuna walked back to Madara who was standing near the bodies, examining their hands.

"How is it possible that those men were killed like that? There are some very powerful warriors here and it doesn't look like they put up much of a fight..." He said quietly to himself. Madara simply couldn't believe that the men would just allow themselves to be killed like that. Izuna's expression had remained the same for the last couple of hours.

"Why would they kill the men and leave the supplies untouched...It's a foolish move even if they didn't need the supplies because that would cut us short." Madara straightened up and looked over his shoulder to Izuna.

"It's a warning. If it were a robbery gone wrong then they wouldn't have taken the time to gouge out the men's eyes and hang them up." Madara paused for a moment. His fists clenched.

"This is just pure mockery." He pressed through gritted teeth. It was quite dark outside and both of them stayed fully alerted. They couldn't leave the sight because that would leave the bodies unprotected. Izuna frowned.

"They might've taken the eyes for information...Do you think it was the Senju clan?" Izuna asked Madara. He frowned and shook his head.

"We're at peace with them currently, but if they broke it then we have the every right to go and attack them without a warning. I think that this is a new enemy of ours. The Senju has obtained information about the Sharingan in the past." Madara's voice trailed off, leaving Izuna to think on his own.

"You mean in that war a few years ago? About a dozen bodies were missing eyes and it was quite clear that Senju took them for information. This has to be someone new, someone who hasn't got much experience with us." Izuna sighed and looked at the sight around him. It was quite dark still.

"Maybe the men got too relaxed...We need the medics look over their bodies before we can allow them to rest. I doubt that Senju did this. They have no reason to attack us since we are at peace currently, unless someone not too major picked a fight with them. That could change things a lot." Izuna continued. Madara looked at the sky.

"We mustn't let this slip out. Clan's might join forces and attack us once they find out that someone is challenging us. We must notify everyone to be extremely careful." Izuna nodded and crossed his hands on his chest.

"We need to find every clan who could pose a threat to us and compare their abilities to this...but it'll be quite hopeless since the members had their throats cut through and that's the most common cause of death." Madara closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before responding.

"If you weren't my brother, I'd smash your scull." He said calmly, every word dripping of anger and venom. Izuna's head tilted to the side and a smile crept on his lips.

"Well I guess I'm very lucky in this case."

Yuna woke up startled when she heard the door slammed shut. It was quite dark in the room, but she recognized the person to be Madara. She straightened up in bed and held the covers close to her. It wasn't a tempting option to leave the warmth.

It didn't seem like Madara even acknowledged her presence. He walked across the room like she was a shadow. Madara stopped on half way before turning to Yuna. She couldn't make out his face.

"Be careful from now on. Uchiha is targeted by someone we don't know." Madara's voice sounded calm, almost polite even. Yuna's eyes were surprised. She didn't see the smirk that appeared on Madara's lips.

With just a split second he was in front of Yuna. Her back was pressed tightly against the wall. The tips of Madara's long hair touched Yuna's shoulder. She felt almost embarrassed because her heart was racing.

"Unless you know anything about it..." He suggested, his sweet voice trailing off slowly. It left a bitter taste in Yuna's mouth. Madara's head tilted to the side.

"Well? Do you know who could be responsible?" He asked, slowly getting impatient. Yuna could feel it slowly growing. She bit her lower lip before forcing her face calm. Madara was simply testing her and falling for something that simple was pathetic.

"Senju clan could've done it maybe considering your constant rivalling? If it wasn't Senju then the possibilities are endless." The Uchiha were quite widely targeted, but there were just a few clans who would actually have the power and courage to mess with the Uchiha clan, because they weren't famous for showing mercy.

The smirk from his lips dropped and he rolled on his side of the bed. Madara didn't even bother to take off his clothes of weapons, though the weapons were starting to bug him a little bit already. Yuna didn't sense any danger dripping from Madara so she took a deep breath in.

"Could you tell me what happened?" Yuna asked. It seemed fair enough that since he already woke her up he could answer her questions. Madara's eyes were half closed but they moved to Yuna but only for a second. She didn't see it happen. Madara sighed and rested the back of his hand on his forehead.

"Our supply caravan was attacked and the men were killed on it. The bastards took their eyes and hanged the bodies on the tree branches. They left our supplies untouched so we assume that it was a simple warning." Madara's tone sounded nonchalant to Yuna, but she didn't question or judge him for that. She sighed and lied back down from her sitting position. The woman pulled the blanket up to her chin and looked up to the ceiling.

"I'm sorry. I hope that they can at least have a proper funeral." She said to herself. Madara looked at her face, delicately taking in every part of her face.

"They will have a proper funeral. The clan will make sure of that." Madara's voice was almost a whisper. A smile appeared on Yuna's lips and she turned to Madara.

"If you leave the bad temper aside...you're not that bad." She stated. Madara's thin eyebrow rose but Yuna didn't take notice. She turned her back to him and closed her eyes.

"Good night Madara."


	9. Chapter 9

9.

"What are you staring?" Madara asked smoothly. His eyes were glancing at Yuna who was sitting across him. Yuna frowned. It had already been a week since the attack and there still wasn't an answer to it all. The clan along with Madara was slowly growing anxious. The bodies had been medically examined by the medics. It appeared that the men were drugged through food before their death. The clansmen were running through the case again and again but almost any clan was able to do something like that.

It was all very straining for Madara. Yuna expected him to be raging, pouring it all out on the only person who can't really do anything about it. The entire week was calm. Madara did still glare at her, they argued once, but he never raised his hand against her. Madara was growing impatient. Yuna was simply looking at him without giving an answer.

"Is there anything you want me to do for you?" He asked again. Yuna snapped out of her small trance. She quickly thought of a lie. It wasn't something to ask from Madara 'Why won't you beat me anymore?' doesn't sound very good.

"Is there a way I could see the scrolls concerning the Sharingan? As your wife it would be uncomfortable for me around others if I don't know about your bloodline or history." Her request was simple, not exactly polite but it didn't sound rude. Madara's delicate eyebrow rose. He felt suspicion inside of him. Why did she want to find out about the Sharingan just now when enemies had appeared?

For a moment Yuna was quite sure that he was going to refuse. Madara's eyes closed nonchalantly for a moment before he picked up his cup from the table and took a sip.

"Go ahead. Ask Mamoru to take you to the library that concerns the clan." Yuna's eyebrow rose and her head tilted to the side. Madara's actions were beyond confusing. She could barely find any logic. Yuna had only slightly touched her food. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was quite sure that she will regret it later, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to lift the bits of rice into her mouth.

"Has Madara noticed that he is extremely out of character lately?" Yuna asked innocently. Madara's expression didn't change. His eyes were looking away from her, away from the world. Without a warning Madara got up and walked over to Yuna. He leaned down and briefly pressed his lips against hers before he left without saying a word.

Yuna's hand slammed against the table.

"Don't walk out on me like that!" She shouted after him, but Madara was already out of the door. Yuna's eyes narrowed and she crossed her hands on her chest for a moment before she shot up from the ground and went back inside. She tied her hair to a low bun and walked out of the room. As expected Mamoru was standing beside the door. His face was quite blank like always.

"Would you lead me to the library that concerns the clan?" She asked softly. Yuna noticed something in his eyes change, but it was only for a brief second. Without a word Mamoru walked ahead with Yuna following him.

Yuna had a lot of free time so she explored the Uchiha mansion a lot. Since she was the mistress of the clan there were no boundaries for her anymore. That didn't change the fact that the Uchiha compound was so big it was beyond reasonable. You could roam through the halls all you want but they still look almost all the same.

She had memorized the way to Madara's office, bathrooms and a few other locations. The first location she didn't use though. It wasn't exactly her purpose of life to be with Madara the entire time, but somehow the compound that was too big, was too small for the two because they bumped into each other, or he came to visit her every now and then.

The visits were always brief. Madara's face was decorated with a small smirk on his lips. It was cryptic both mocking, kind and sneaky at the same time.

Mamoru stopped in front of a room with double doors. Yuna didn't wait for him to say anything and walked forward confidently. She placed both hands on the doors and pushed them open.

Yuna wasn't surprised to find a room filled with scrolls. The place was clean like expected. She closed the doors softly behind her. The room didn't have any windows, but the lamps were lit. She looked around with a small smile on her lips. Yuna jumped when an Uchiha man appeared from behind a shelf. Like any other Uchiha he had the same dark hair and eyes along with quite pale skin. That man was short, almost as tall as Yuna. He bowed with a small smile on his lips.

"My lady, what brings you here?" He asked politely. Yuna smiled back; at the same time wondering was he actually respecting her or just wanted to look good. She didn't dwell over it long.

"I'm looking for scrolls about the Sharingan and its history." She said carefully. Yuna's eyes were focused on the man's facial expressions. There was surprise on his face and he didn't even try to hide it. Yuna let a small laugh escape her lips and waved her hands.

"Madara knows that I'm looking into the clan's history. He advised me to come here." The man smiled and shook his head.

"My apologizes, it is not my business to ask about Yuna-sama's decisions." The man said with a soft tone. He disappeared between the shelves again. Yuna heard him move around for a while before he came back with some scrolls in his hands.

"Please follow me my lady. There is a place to read at the back." He said. Yuna nodded and followed him. The light of the candle gave her skin a golden glint. She took a deep breath in before letting it all out once again. Mamoru was going to be so bored standing there beside the door.

"When is anybody going to give me some answers?" Madara yelled and slammed his fist on the table. It made the men behind the tables jump. The only one who didn't even flinch was Izuna who was smiling sweetly. The room fell silent. Izuna sighed.

"I think that we're done here for today. Continue on searching and if anyone notices anything that could help us please report it to me or Madara." Izuna said with his friendly voice. It was quite predictable that if anyone was to find something they would never go to Madara, though Izuna didn't have much faith that anyone will find anything.

The men in the room scrambled up before bowing and leaving quickly. They could tell that the happy days when Madara was calm were over. They could feel that he was quite angry from the dark aura coming from him. The only one who wasn't affected was Izuna.

When the last person was out Izuna finally decided to speak.

"Judging from your bad temper you have an idea who might be responsible." Izuna stated with a relaxed tone. Madara's eyes flashed to him before he turned away without responding him. Izuna sighed and leaned back.

"That isn't the only thing that is bothering you." Izuna noted. He knew that at one moment Madara was going to break and spill the beans. His bad tempered brother still didn't say anything though.

"Could it be that you're developing a liking towards Yuna?" Izuna asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. It was a dangerous game he was playing and even Madara could feel that he was tense. Brother or not but Madara was in a mood that had was going to fall out of balance soon.

"Well you have turned a little soft lately..." Izuna half joked. That was the last straw for Madara. He simply took his table and slammed it against the wall. All that was left of it were just pieces. Izuna sighed. It probably startled several members and frightened many.

"I was joking you know, but could it be that she's slowly growing on to you. There's nothing to be ashamed about that since you are going to be together until one of you dies."

He paused for a moment.

"Though you probably destroyed whatever chance you had before you married." Izuna continued. He knew that Madara wasn't going to hate him for laying out the facts.

"She has already noticed that I'm being softer to her, but she isn't growing on to me. I simply calmed down." Izuna snorted. It was just a single snort before he burst into laughter, earning several glares from Madara, but that didn't stop him. It only turned him on more.

"Can't you hear what you're saying? You're claiming that you are not angry anymore on some random person. You're always pissed off because of some random person. That is called denial my dear Madara that you're in right now. It's obvious that you're softer to her because you're beginning to like her slowly." Izuna said, still grinning widely. Madara snorted at him. He decided to ignore the subject completely.

"You probably know which clan I'm suspecting. It's a very slim possibility but...it's still there. Even though they have no reason to...but everyone gets greedy at some point." Izuna pouted because Madara decided to wriggle out of his love life talk and go serious.

"Yes, they are a very unlikely candidate...I could try to spy on them...maybe break in to get some info but it is going to take time if we want to be delicate and not let this get out. I will find a way to commit myself to the task but still look like I'm focusing on different things." Izuna got up and so did Madara. They heard steps hurrying towards the meeting room. Probably someone to clean up the mess Madara created.

"Go, but if you get caught then I can't forgive you because the consequences could be severe." Madara warned him. Izuna put on his usual smile and tilted his head to the side. When his eyes opened there was a glint in them. It was mischievous, dangerous and at the same time agitated and anxious. Izuna didn't say a word and simply turned around and left. When he was out of the door Madara heard him talk to the maid.

"He's in a nasty mood by the way." Izuna warned the poor woman playfully. Madara just snorted and crossed his hands on his chest.

_I am not warming up. _

Yuna has spent the entire day, reading and studying different scrolls. She hadn't reacted to anything the entire time, only focusing on reading. It perked her curiosity when she heard the library keeper welcome someone else.

"Yes, my lady is right at the back Madara-sama." Yuna heard Madara's steps coming towards her direction, and it didn't take him long to reach her. His eyes were unreadable, but they didn't look angry.

"Have you found out enough?" He asked her shortly. Yuna smiled softly and nodded.

"There is still much for me to learn. The Uchiha clan has a long history." Madara felt the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the Uchiha has a long history they are the biggest and most badass clan in the entire world. Besides all of those titles they are also an old clan, even though Madara was the first real leader that united the clan into one.

He lifted Yuna up, she didn't protest but there was certain awareness in her eyes.

"Go get dressed up. We're going out tonight." Madara said shortly. It was just a momentary idea that he thought of shortly before arriving that the library. Yuna looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"What, so you could show off your wife or something?" Madara smirked softly.

"Exactly, now go and become pretty."


	10. Chapter 10

10.

Yuna sat behind the table quietly, looking at Madara who was sitting on front of him. Her blue eyes were framed with long black lashes and her hair was left loose on her bare shoulders. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress and matching shoes. Yuna had left every hidden weapon home. Madara was sitting across her, his chin resting on the back of his hand. A frown was on his lips. Yuna held back the urge to sigh. The frown could only mean one thing.

The little angry Madara wasn't happy with something once again. Even though they had lived together for a bit more than 2 weeks Yuna had learnt Madara's basic expressions. He had two types of expressions, good mood expressions and bad mood expressions. It wasn't hard to tell the difference. After you determine if it's a good or bad mood expression you need to figure out what could be in his mind. It was an educating thing to do when you had to pass time.

"You're wearing too much black, it's depressing." He said calmly. His tone didn't sound displeased though. Yuna slammed her palm against the table, making some people near their table jump and look at their direction.

"So you are the best person to talk about depressing clothing!" She pressed through gritted teeth. Madara seriously wasn't one to talk. His wardrobe was almost entirely crimson red and black. Madara snorted and leaned back on his chair. He was slowly starting to regret bringing her out, but that simply convinced him that Yuna wasn't his object of affections. She got up from her chair.

"I'm going to the bathroom." She said to Madara and marched away. Yuna didn't really need to use the bathroom, she just wanted to take a small break from him and get herself together.

The bathroom had only one person besides Yuna in it. The woman just came out of the toilet and went to wash her hands. Yuna's eyes widened and she moved a bit to see the woman better. She had long chocolate brown hair with matching her. The woman was quite slender, but to put it shortly she was quite beautiful. She was dressed in a dark green dress and her small feet were in heels. The woman looked up and saw Yuna's reflection looking at her. She turned her head a bit to the left.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. Yuna quickly masked her surprised face and waved her hands dismissingly.

"Oh I'm sorry for staring. I was just wondering if your hair is naturally that straight." Yuna said casually. The woman's hair was incredibly flat and straight. A small smile appeared on her full lips that were painted dark red.

"It's natural; I got it from my mother." She replied and dried her hands before walking out of the door. Yuna looked at the woman's face for the last time and decided to stay in the bathroom for a little bit longer.

Yuna was sitting behind the table alone. When she got back Madara excused himself for a moment as well. She didn't mind, it was better for them to be apart a little bit longer. A smile appeared on Yuna's lips when Madara came back. He sat down and the first thing he noticed was the smile on Yuna's lips.

"What are you smiling about?" Madara asked. Yuna allowed her eyes slide over him and her smile dropped.

"What kind of a respectable shinobi wears red lipstick on his lips?" Yuna asked playfully. Madara's eyes flashed and he brought his hand to his lips and wiped the rouge off. There wasn't much, you wouldn't have seen it from a distance.

Madara decided that there was no point in acting polite anymore.

"So you noticed...You're better than I thought." He said with a grin on his lips. Yuna leaned back with a smirk that could rival Madara's deadly smiles.

"I'm even better, she was wearing a dark green dress right? You've even screwed her before, in our bed. Do you remember? I think it was the second night when I slept somewhere around the compound because you were busy fucking that slut. I recognized her profile. So you take me out to dine with you, and then go for a quickie with one of your whores?" She snapped at him.

Madara felt a twitch in his stomach. He completely underestimated her. She maybe was like a regular woman around him, but she was a ninja nevertheless.

The air was thick with tension. Yuna's face calmed and she picked up the menu from in front of her and with a completely casual and relaxed face started to look through the different dishes. It didn't take her long to decide.

"I think I'll have some sukiyaki and orange juice...Have you decided anything yet?" Yuna asked casually, as if she didn't just catch Madara cheating on him, while she was 10 feet away from them. His eyebrow was up and he felt...confused. He had never received a reaction like that from a woman.

Then again Yuna wasn't emotionally connected with him so she probably scolded him simply because it annoyed her. When he didn't answer her Yuna snorted.

"You could at least pick something. I don't want to be eating alone." Madara was quite sure that he should stab himself for such an idiotic idea of taking her wife out to eat. He didn't think that anything could happen, but Yuna turned the tables and made him feel uncomfortable. She wasn't even hiding the fact that she found the entire situation amusing.

He held back a growl and slowly took the menu and opened it, not really reading it and simply decided on the first thing he saw.

The dinner was as short as possible. Madara ate quickly, barely even tasting his food. It was a dish he didn't enjoy much anyway. Yuna on the other hand had a lot of time in her hands. She looked around and chewed slowly and enjoyed the taste. Madara's patience was nearly at its end. He slapped some money on the table and grabbed Yuna by the arm and dragged her out, completely ignoring stares from the few people who dared to stare at the angered Uchiha leader.

When they got out Yuna smirked.

"Don't you think that this will make you look...like the bad guy? Well you are but for the people there I'm the intruder who is probably a power whore who'd just love to twist you around my finger." Madara turned to her sharply, looking straight into her eyes. He was beyond furious.

Madara felt satisfied when he saw the raw confidence in her eyes flicker for a moment. She was still afraid of him and his actions, but at the same time she was quite sure that he wasn't going to do anything in public. Madara released her hand and took a few steps back.

"I have more important things to do than deal with you." He said before he disappeared to the crowd.

Yuna crossed her hands on her chest. He was the worst. Who leaves a woman out alone on a dark street? It is crowded but something like that is cruel. Yuna snorted and a smile appeared on her lips. She was going to test if he could ever feel worry if she didn't come home.

She turned around to the correct direction and started walking. Her pace was rather quick but she kept her head up and eyes ahead of herself. She had an idea where to go, but it was another question if she would accept.

Yuna walked about 20 minutes until she reached a small white house. Yuna sighed in relief when she saw that the lights were still on. Sayu was always in a bad mood, but when you woke her up from a good dream she could be murderous. Yuna walked through the garden and stopped behind the door and knocked a few times. There was a short pause before the door was pulled open sharply. Yuna jumped back a few inches and looked at Sayu's black eyes carefully.

"What do you want?" She asked, but her voice was quite relaxed for Yuna's surprise. She relaxed and straightened up.

"Could I stay at your place for the night?" Yuna asked sweetly. Sayu snorted and grinned and walked away from the door, but she left it opened for Yuna. She stepped in and kicked off her shoes. She looked around the living room. The place hadn't changed at all. It was still dirty as usually. Sayu wasn't known as a tidy person, but what was weird was that she was always clean and her bathroom was always clean. She didn't give a damn about everything else really.

The house was small. The kitchen, dining room and a sofa to give it a living room feel was all crammed into a small room. Next to the sofa was the door that led to the bathroom and across the room to Sayu's bedroom. It seemed like Sayu was eating dinner. She was dressed in gray sweatpants and a black tank top. Her hair was tied to a low ponytail and she was barefoot. Sayu sat down on her chair and picked up the cup of ramen and resumed eating. Between a bite she waved with her chopsticks to gain Yuna's attention.

"You aren't sleeping in my bed by the way lady Yuna. Why are you here anyway?" Sayu asked calmly. Yuna stopped for a second and sat down on the other free chair that wasn't broken or dirty. She placed her hands on the table and looked down to her nails.

"Well Madara took me out for dinner, had a quickie with one of his whores I've seen him have sex with and I caught him and made that man feel uncomfortable. Then we had dinner and he ditched me so instead of going back to the compound I decided to ditch him back and spend the night somewhere else..." Yuna's voice trailed off.

Sayu's eyes weren't even looking at her. They stayed on the table and a hint of a smile was on her lips.

"Well that had to irritate him..." Sayu noted. Yuna couldn't help but to laugh out loud.

"Izuna's doing most of the work. I heard from my maid that he slammed a table into pieces...simply because of something that Izuna said." Sayu's eyebrow rose at the statement.

"You better watch out when it comes to him. You're not a weak ninja, but he is way out of your league."

"Are you trying to sneak in? No lady to bang? Where's the mistress?" Madara flinched at the familiar voice. He had jumped over the rooftops and came from his window to find Izuna sitting on his bed with an amused grin on his lips. Madara gritted his teeth and stepped in. If Izuna had any common sense in him he would've ran away already. Madara held back the urge to trash his room, because he still had to sleep in it. Izuna had picked a safe spot.

"So, my dearest brother, where's your beautiful lady?" Izuna asked his question again since Madara wasn't thrilled to answer Izuna's teasing questions.

"She'll come at some point tonight." Madara said after a while. Izuna gasped and shook his head disapprovingly.

"Oh my what kind of a man are you! My brother left his woman alone on the dangerous streets...all vulnerable..." Izuna sounded like apparent scolding his child. In this case the child was abnormally moody and had a bad temper. Madara crossed his hands on his chest.

"Izuna get out of my room...now." Madara said calmly, very calmly to make sure that Izuna understood everything correctly. Izuna's face went blank for a moment before a kind smile appeared on it.

"Perhaps she's with another man?" Izuna suggested. With just a blink of an eye he jumped up from his spot. Behind him a sword was stuck in the wall at the same level his head was just a moment before. Izuna sighed and strolled to the door playfully.

"I'm just saying that there is the possibility. Just because she's your wife doesn't mean that she can't fool around with a few men every now and then..." Izuna's words were like oil to fire. It only made Madara angrier. Izuna could sense that his patience was gone, even when it was him and he quickly got out of the door.

"I bet his name is Akira!" Izuna shouted before he disappeared out of the door.

Madara's hands were shaking with anger. Those two were simply...scandalous! He thought about sleeping, but every time he closed his eyes he could only think of the events that had occurred during the last two hours and what might be occurring right now.

He lied down on his back and slammed his fist against the side of the bed, teeth gritted together.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Madara stared at the ceiling with a frown on his forehead. It wasn't unusual for the young leader to look like that. There were many things that annoyed him on a regular basis, but at that moment the thing that annoyed him was the absence of his wife. True, he didn't particularly care about her but it was the lack of control over her that bothered him. Anyone could tell that he was a possessive and controlling man. It was the only thing he knew.

Madara hadn't figured it out yet did he dislike Yuna because of her personality, or because she is one of those people who doesn't let him have his way all the time. It was somewhat pleasuring and interesting to see someone who doesn't act politely with him, who doesn't want anything from him. Every woman he had before always wanted something, his power, body or his heart without giving anything in return. It was shallow already. Women had beautiful bodies, beautiful eyes and hair but the soul inside of the beautiful work of art was shallow and boring.

Perhaps the only reason Madara felt slightly interested was simply because Yuna didn't want him. The women he knew worshipped and adored him, but that woman felt repulsed. It was like a challenge. As soon as she falls in love and becomes one of the women he sees everything Madara knew that he will cast her aside like an old sock, but that will happen only if he can't see anything that interests him in her.

Madara sat up when he heard a knock on his door. Madara straightened up and the door opened. There was a maid there with his lunch. She walked in without a word and placed the tray on his table. When she turned around to leave Madara sighed.

"Has my wife returned yet?" He asked in a calm tone. That maid was one of those he didn't like to snap on because the old lady started to lecture her whenever he did. Even though she wasn't on a high position, the aura coming from her stopped you somehow. The maid stopped and turned around with a frown on her forehead.

Madara knew that frown; it meant that he did something wrong, something that displeased the maid.

"A true man doesn't sit back when his woman is missing, Madara-sama." The corners of her lips were turned downwards and she bowed slightly before leaving.

Madara snorted and his fist hit the table and his eyes turned away. That maid seriously needed some taming. He got up and walked to the window with a small smirk on his lips. If only he'd know her location...It could be fun.

He had made up his mind. It was better than trying to figure out the small attack on the wagon. He heard someone running towards his office. Without knocking the door was opened.

"Madara-sama we caught a woman from the Kuna clan!" The man shouted. Madara felt a twitch of hope and surprise in him, but his only way to express it was with a raised eyebrow. Yuna was going to have to wait. She knew very well how to come back by herself.

He walked past the man in a quick pace. The ninja followed him hastily.

"Where is she and who's with her?" Madara demanded from the ninja. The people got away from their way hurriedly and let them through.

"We took her down to the cells. She's there with Izuna-sama and too guards just to be sure. We don't know her name but we found her with 2 other lurking near the wall. The other two attacked so they were killed and the woman was taken with us. The bodies are taken care of." He said hurriedly. Madara nodded and raised his hand to dismiss the man. The ninja stopped and turned around while Madara walked forward.

The black steel doors were guarded by two guards. It might've seen like a simple job but the guards weren't some low level guards. The Uchiha held their secrets and treasures all around the compound. Only a few people knew the location. Some of those secrets and treasures were hidden deep inside the cold cells. The guards bowed before pushing the door open for their leader.

Madara had an amused smirk on his lips. He highly doubted that the woman was going to speak. If she had that much courage to lurk around the Uchiha compound then she has to have some guts. Kuna clan wasn't big or strong. Destroying them would be relatively easy for him. They're not at peace with them so Uchiha can attack at any given moment.

Madara's echoing steps were the only thing that he heard while stepping down the stone stairs. The air around him went colder, step-by-step. He walked past the small corridor. Their small prison had only 5 cells because the Uchiha wasn't famous for taking prisons, but something like this was a special occasion.

Madara walked to the end of the corridor were he felt Izuna's chakra and pushed the door open. The two guards stood at both sides of a woman who was shackled to the wall with her hands behind her and forced on her knees. Izuna was standing near her smiling with a polite smile.

"Madara, I hope that you weren't doing anything very important when I called you." Madara snorted and his eyes travelled to the woman. She was fully conscious and her eyes were wide. Not many people survive long enough on the battlefield to see Uchiha Madara this close. No one got so close to him when you were an enemy, just being so close to him made her stomach go tight into a knot. It was relatively scary and she was quite sure that she isn't going to get out there alive.

Madara leaned down to her face and looked into her eyes, his blood red Sharingan shining in the dim light. The woman felt his breath on his face. The tips of her fingers started shaking.

"There are two ways we can do this...You can tell them everything you know honestly...or they are leaving and you are staying with me until I get what I want from you." He said in a quiet voice. Madara took a few steps back and Izuna stepped to the woman with a polite smile. The one that stated 'please die little girl'

"I'm going to keep the previous incident a small secret. So let's try again. What's your name?" He asked as if he was a hotel worker. The guards felt a little uncomfortable. When Madara was like that it wasn't very nice to be near him. Everyone knew that his wife hadn't come back, so no one said anything about the mistress.

The girl looked at the guards for some help but they were looking straight ahead. Madara's eyes were still gleaming darkly and they were fixed at her with his hands crossed on his chest arrogantly. Izuna's soft smile didn't help at all. The entire situation was nerve wrecking. Her parents were right when they said that she's going to die young.

She knew that they weren't going to let her go even if she told anything. It was a lose-lose situation. The only person who gained anything from it was Madara. Izuna shook his head.

"Darling I'm trying to help you. You see I might not be as forgiving as you think, but Madara isn't as patient as you think...I'm not going to give you another chance unless you start spitting out answers soon." He said with a worried voice. The girl was about to say something when Madara snorted, making her stop.

"Out!" He ordered shortly. Izuna straightened up and the girl felt tears forcing their way into her eyes. Izuna straightened up and the guards exchanged glances before leaving hastily.

"Are you sure? Well you're the head so I have to obey. See you later girl." Izuna said and slowly walked out. The door was closed behind him and Madara and the woman were left there alone. Izuna and the guards waited outside.

Madara looked down to her.

"You know, I wasn't in a good mood to begin with...and there is a good possibility that your clan murdered my clansmen, and for that I can't forgive you." He looked at her with a deadly frown on his forehead. The woman felt her entire body shaking. She always wondered why someone so young like him made it to the leader position. It was quite clear to her now.

She saw his Sharingan change into something different, and that's when the pain hit her.

The guards flinched when the screams reached their ears. They didn't flinch visibly, but it was uncomfortable because only Izuna knew what could happen down there. They hadn't decided yet if they feel sorry for her, because there still was no proof that she did anything. He turned around with a smile on his face.

"Madara's a little rough today don't you think...It shouldn't take too long...I wonder where Lady Yuna is..." Izuna mused out loud. The guards glanced at each other.

Which one was more dangerous, Madara or Izuna?

**I can't help it but I have to apologize for such a late update X.X A lot has happened but I went to see a Japanese band 'Guild' live! I got to glomp some beautiful men and I got a drumstick :D When did this story become so popular :D Last chapter got 10 reviews and I see the favourite and alert messages pouring into my mailbox. Thank you! **

**Rima-Chan**


	12. Chapter 12

12.

Madara turned his look away from the burning building and looked over his shoulder. There weren't many injured clansmen, but there still was a great amount. Madara's hand rose and wiped some blood off his cheek. It was a successful battle, just like every other one. The clan didn't expect the attack, it was even too easy. Madara sighed and turned away from the building.

"Back to the camp, so we could treat the injured!" Madara shouted to the men. Those who were closer passed the message so it spread. Madara didn't stay behind to wait anyone. He walked ahead. At the back of his mind Madara was curious of Izuna's location. His brother disappeared at some point of the battle. Madara wasn't worried though, Izuna wasn't weak and could take care of himself. That couldn't ease the irritating feeling inside of him. Something was wrong.

Madara didn't feel like he had won a battle, he felt like he just lost one. It was quite confusing and for the first time in quite a while he was feeling doubtful, if they did the right thing. Madara shook it off and continued on. He didn't have a scratch on him. His clothes were a little bloody and his sleeve had a cut in it but his body was completely well.

In the distance he saw the tents and fire of the camp that they put up a day before attacking. The few medics they took with them got straight up and went to prepare the beds for the injured. Madara didn't feel like they needed him there so he headed to his tent where a clean set of clothes, a bit of rice and some water waited him. Madara looked over his shoulder and smirked.

"If you have time to stand there doing nothing then was there even a point bringing you along?" Madara said to a medic who was standing in front of his tent, probably trying to pack up his courage to see if his master is alright. The medic jumped, but didn't leave.

"Is Madara-sama unharmed?" He asked loud enough for the moody leader to hear. Madara's smirk faded to a bored expression.

"Not even a scratch on me." His voice sounded monotone. He heard the medic run off, probably to treat someone who needed it. Madara removed his shirt and used the water and the cloth beside it to wash off the blood. His thin eyebrows were in a displeased frown.

Usually the stubborn man knew exactly what was wrong, he could point out many things, but there was something that had missed him. It was a feeling of uneasiness in his stomach, but the cause of the feeling was a mystery for him. His hands tightened on the edges of the cabinet.

The water calmed down and Madara looked at his reflection on the water. The tips of his hair got wet.

Izuna opened his eyes. It was most certainly a dream that he was in, but what was confusing was how he fell asleep. The last thing he could remember was the battle. He most certainly wasn't killed because then he wouldn't be dreaming. Izuna sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Well that's certainly inconvenient..." He mumbled in front of him. Izuna looked around. He was still dressed in the same clothes, though the clothes were clean in his dream. They weren't covered with cold blood that made the fabric stick on the skin. Izuna took a step in the emptiness around him.

"What are you doing here?" Izuna heard a familiar voice. He turned around with a blank face. It was just a dream so he didn't have to make a happy face to please the people around him. What he saw made his eyebrow rise. Yuna didn't sound so close but she was just a foot away from him, dressed into a short black dress that was certainly quite revealing. Her long hair was down and she had a mysterious glint in her eyes.

That certainly changed things. Though it surprised him that it was Yuna that he dreamed about. She took a step back and a giggle escaped her lips.

"Everyone's going to hate your clan..." She said playfully. Izuna crossed his hands on his chest and tilted his head on the side.

"What do you mean?" He asked suspiciously. There were doubts inside of him if it's really a dream that he's in. Yuna's lips turned up to a smile.

"Everyone's going to hate you for killing an innocent clan who hasn't done a thing!" Yuna took a few more steps back, laughing loudly, holding her stomach.

Izuna was quite sure already that this wasn't his dream. Standing in front of him was a man now with dark brown hair, but his back was turned towards Izuna. The man chuckled.

"It was fun watching you destroy another clan. An innocent clan this time though, who was ready to offer their support to the Uchiha. If you can't beat them, join them." Izuna frowned and wanted to pull out his dagger when he noticed that he was stripped from weapons. The man in front of him didn't look behind, not once.

"Tell your brother...tell Uchiha Madara that he failed this time." The man said and crossed his hands on his chest. He started walking away, but Izuna sighed.

"How did you manage to put me under a genjutsu? I dislike you, but I have to admit that I'm impressed nevertheless." Izuna's voice was dripping with venom, even though his face was completely blank. The man stopped and chuckled.

"It wasn't easy. You're probably my hardest target. I didn't dare to try my hand on Uchiha Madara himself, so I thought that you're easier, but I was quite wrong though." He admitted. Izuna snorted, that was something that wasn't seen often.

"You didn't answer my question. How did you do it?" He asked sternly. The man sighed. Izuna could almost imagine him closing his eyes.

"How does your Sharingan work, young Uchiha?" The man questioned mockingly before he disappeared.

Izuna woke with a startle. He scrambled up from the ground and checked all of his weapons. He was unharmed surprisingly, but there wasn't a sign of the mysterious man. He could still hear the flames of the building. Izuna smirked. So Madara really decided to burn the place to the ground out of anger? It was a rash and childish thing to do though. Izuna didn't sense any chakras around him so the clansmen had probably gone back to camp.

Izuna couldn't waste any time. He was tired but had enough strength to run to the camp. Madara had to be notified as soon as possible. Izuna saw the lights in the distance and sped up. He ignored everyone in his way who tried to ask something from him. It didn't seem like there were many seriously injured men, but the medics still were busy because there weren't enough people to help.

Izuna jogged to Madara's tent and didn't even wait for a response before going in. Madara was on the bed, but he looked up with an irritated look in his eyes.

"Where were you?" He asked. Izuna sighed and sat down on the ground. He was quite tired.

"I was somewhere in the forest, placed under a genjutsu." Izuna admitted honestly. Madara's eyes changed and he sat up.

"Would you explain it?" Madara asked, as if Izuna was a kid who just lied and you had to force the correct answers from him.

"Well at first it was your wife in a very small black dress...by the way have you ever noticed that she has gorgeous-." Izuna couldn't help it; he just had to say it to annoy Madara.

"Izuna..." Madara warned through gritted teeth.

"Well anyway she was laughing how everyone's going to hate us, after that she changed into a man who told me that we had killed the wrong clan. They were actually planning on offering their support to us." Madara frowned and snorted.

"Why would I believe something that you saw in your silly dream?" Izuna sighed.

"It was a genjutsu and, whoever he is, he's strong for managing to put me under a genjutsu. I never sensed his presence." Madara got up suddenly.

"Are you telling me that we just slaughtered the wrong people? How is it possible? You saw the woman's memories whom we imprisoned!" Madara was raging. Izuna shrugged.

"Maybe she was put under the same genjutsu...the person could've made her see the things that would set the guilt on her clan. This could bring war to us if it gets out that we killed an innocent clan. It might not be anything rare, but this could cause a commotion." Izuna's voice was quite serious, and even he couldn't smile at this situation.

"Then those who blame us are the real ones?" Madara asked. His stomach was tied to a knot and he was quite sure that the first thing he's going to do after getting back is banging some random whore he picks up on the street. Izuna frowned.

"I doubt it, they wouldn't do it like that because it can backfire to them, but I don't know if they can anonymously manipulate other clans to blame us. That would give them time to cover up traces and would keep us busy at the same time." Madara cursed under his breath.

"Get out, I need to think and you reek like a dead animal." Izuna smiled and got up and left. Madara wasn't used to making a wrong move because he was always right, always confident and often trusted his gut. The only bright side that wasn't even so bright was that they had gotten rid of a possible enemy. The clan wasn't big or known so the Uchiha wasn't going to gain anything from it and others weren't going to lose something important.

Madara lied back down, but got up quite soon because the irritation made him want to pace around the tent. The leader's life wasn't sunny. His wife was probably still missing and having sex in some other man's bed, his clan could be pulled into a series of battles and clashes with other clans because of his decision and his maids couldn't make good enough miso soup. He didn't even have miso there, but they didn't come to attack some other clan to have good food later.

They were going to leave early in the morning. Madara was partially hoping that Yuna hadn't come back, because he would probably just rape her. He wasn't one of those people to explain something to a woman through words, but through actions and that would be Yuna's punishment for embarrassing him. Madara was almost asleep before, but now he was too anxious, too angry to lie down quietly long enough to fall asleep.

He could maybe kill the girl who they took as a hostage just so he could ease his anger a bit. She was the one who gave them the wrong info in the first place, not to mention that she hasn't got a place to call home anymore anyway.

Madara stopped and took the water bowl and threw it out of the tent as hard as he could. The red water spilled all around, including on the tent. Making it look like someone just murdered him there. He didn't stop to listen if someone got hit, and he didn't really care. Those who couldn't dodge a god damn bowl weren't fit to be ninja anyway.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

_When I was younger I didn't understand_

_When__ people said that they wanted to erase a bad memory._

No, his eyes weren't cheating on him. Uchiha Madara didn't expect to find his wife sleeping in his bed when he came back. The travel had taken the entire day and he had to report to the elders before he could retreat to his room. Damn those elders, living on his back all the time. Madara was quite sure the only reason why they hadn't kicked him out was because of Izuna. Madara had been gone for only about 5 days, but he didn't expect to find his room filled with...the only way he could describe it was just _stuff_.

Yuna was breathing steadily, a small lamp dimly lightening the room. Madara stepped over some silk clothing, fans, an umbrella and some books. He felt a twitch of annoyance in his stomach when he saw some opened packages of food along with something that looked like cosmetics on Yuna's vanity desk and instead of falling asleep peacefully like his mind was pleading he got on the bed and leaned down to the young woman and kissed her briefly. Yuna opened her eyes and a small smile caressed her lips.

"Madara, you're back so soon?" She asked quite amusedly. Madara's eyes flashed, but his face remained calm.

"May I ask what is this junk doing in my room?" Madara snapped and nodded briefly towards everything on the ground. Yuna smiled innocently and sat up from the bed. Madara noticed that her hair was messy from sleepy which indicated that she had been sleeping for quite a while, though she didn't have that look on her face that people have when they wake up.

Yuna's eyes travelled on the implied items and she said, "I went on a small travel out of boredom and bought some stuff for myself. It's my money after all that I spent." Madara wasn't very pleased with that snotty tone she used. He leaned closer to her face and for his surprise she remained calm and didn't pull away carefully.

"I figured that much, what I'm asking is why is it on the floor?" Yuna tilted her head innocently and sighed dramatically.

"If Madara would only have a nice big shelf where I could put my things, but you see you don't so I had no other choice but to leave it there." Madara raised an eyebrow cockily and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Done, I'll have it here by tomorrow." Madara said confidently. Yuna made a nonchalant face. It didn't mean much to her, but it was nice to have a place to put away her stuff. Madara had pretty much nothing besides his clothes and a few items he held dear. All of them fit into his closet, but a lady always needs more room.

What surprised Madara was that Yuna's face looked like she felt discomfort. The woman hesitated before asking.

"Did you win the battle?" She asked carefully. Madara kicked off his shoes and threw his shirt over the edge of the bed, revealing his toned body that had considerable amount of old scars on it. He went under the blanket and pulled it up to his waist. A smirk appeared on his lips. Yuna felt some warmth in her cheeks and was quite thankful that the lights were dim. Though the chances were high that the young leader can still sense it.

"Of course we did." Madara felt slight irritation in him. They won the battle but the wrong one. He wanted to push that to the back of his head somewhere for the night. Izuna and he had some new material though, and Izuna still had to do his secret research.

To Madara's surprise Yuna leaned back with a small smile on her lips. Her eyes were looking at the light ceiling.

"That's good..." She said. Madara's delicate eyebrow rose in confusion. Yuna wasn't a complicated woman, but not an exceptionally stupid one either. She still kept a lot of thoughts to herself. Madara didn't know how bitter she was inside.

"You seem calmer. Any reason why?" Madara asked casually. It happened every once in a while, when Madara was simply too tired to be arrogant. The maids loved those days, but he was rarely like that around them.

A small laugh escaped Yuna's lips before she said, "I don't know if it's the same with you, but I'm slowly getting used to being tied here. Your clan probably thinks that while I was gone I went and leaked info or something. Maybe being here made me mature a bit?" She paused, without expecting an answer from Madara before continuing, "I guess I just realized that I have to learn how to cope with you, or learn to love you." Her voice trailed off and Madara's face smoothly melted into amusement.

"You would consider loving me? What a foolish woman you are, truly." He chuckled at the statement. Yuna looked at him with a surprised look.

"I never said that I plan to do it. I just look at all of the options." Madara sighed and closed his eyes. Love...it was something that he wasn't so familiar with. There was lust and passion, but love was something different. The closest thing he knew to love was what Izuna and he had. Women were a different story.

They were...how to put it...like dogs. They wanted a lot of attention and care, and when you left them like that they decided that you don't care about them. He didn't need a wife...he didn't need a child either, yet everyone else seemed so determined that they married him to some woman whose clan wanted to rely on the Uchiha's strength. It was determined not to work.

"There is no point. I don't want you as a wife." Madara said blankly. Yuna sighed and closed her eyes. This was getting tiring already. Not just the conversation but everything was tiring. Those few days where she had freedom, with no limits and no one telling her what is proper to do, she felt free.

"If you don't want me, then let me go." She said sternly. In her mind she was quietly wondering if Madara had some kind of a childhood trauma that made him so possessive...Did Izuna steal his crayons or something? Madara grunted and sighed before turning to her with a small smirk on his lips. For a split moment, she hoped to see a nod. Yuna would've scrambled up and packed her things and left on the spot.

"No, I couldn't even if I wanted to allow you leave." Madara said with a small amount of amusement in his voice. Yuna felt like her breath was hitched in her throat. She wanted to leave so bad. Nothing could change the fact. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to go home.

Madara sighed and said, "You should relax woman, anything you want I can get you. All you have to do is smile and give me a few pecks in the public." Yuna held back a snort. _Oh yeah...and sometimes sleep on the floor because you're probably screwing someone in my bed. _She thought. Though Madara was thinking pretty much the same thing.

"What if I escape, the clan can't blame you for that." Yuna said. Madara snorted and got back up. He couldn't sleep with that talkative woman on his side. He walked to his wardrobe and pulled a lower drawer open and got out a pipe. Yuna's eyebrow rose. She had never seen Madara smoke before. He lit the pipe and walked to the balcony.

Madara sat down and Yuna observed quietly as he puffed out the light grey clouds of smoke. They spread a cherry scent. Yuna loved the smell. She quietly sniffed the air for more. The small clouds rose until they disappeared into the air. She tried to find figures in the clouds.

Yuna could see the stormy sea, horses pulling a carriage and a dying sakura tree. They weren't connected in any way and everything seemed quite random. Surprisingly Madara was the one who broke the silence that had lingered there, making the air around them even peaceful.

"If you were to escape the clan would probably remove me from my position, and believe me, I will hunt you down and kill you slowly if that happens. Right now I'm in a bad position because of you." Madara said calmly. Yuna didn't feel guilty though. It wasn't even Madara's fault somewhat. He didn't even want a wife.

"I haven't done anything to your clan." Yuna said quietly. It sounded childish. Madara still heard that. Yuna heard a small laugh coming from him before he sent out another cloud of smoke. Yuna felt her face heat up.

"You personally of course not. Though I don't know about your clan. It's all just too fishy. Were you on a high position in your clan?" Madara asked, not out of curiosity but because a small plan was starting to form in his head.

"Our family is indeed on a very good position." Madara's lips turned up to a small smirk.

"Is there a reason why you're asking those questions? And don't say that it's out of simply curiosity." Yuna was kind of tired already. Madara turned to her with a glint in his eyes.

"You can maybe be of use to me...We'll talk about it in the morning since...I need to figure this out better." His voice trailed off, leaving Yuna's stomach in a knot. She hated not knowing what's going on in the Uchiha's mind.

_Madara...t__o me the memories are the only thing I have left._

_Tell me what to do._

_Please?_


	14. Chapter 14

14.

_I'd like to return to that beautiful compound. _

_I haven't seen all of it. I'm sure she would like to see it too._

_Would you come with me?_

Yuna's eyes scanned her home and she sighed. Quite a long time has passed since she stepped inside the building. Madara simply asked her, surprisingly not ordered, to invite her mother, father and little sister to have dinner with them at the Uchiha compound. The woman couldn't see where was this heading but Madara promised to explain it all later. The woman headed inside. She maybe lived with Madara and was now an Uchiha through marriage, but her heart still belonged there.

Everything was exactly as she remembered, and the feeling of nostalgia waltzed into her mind. It was fairly funny because it felt like years had passed. She noticed a familiar face and a huge smile appeared on her face. The maid though didn't notice Yuna before she shouted her name.

"Sakura, long time no see!" Yuna said loud enough for the maid to hear. The maid turned around with a surprised look and a smile was on her face. Sakura had been Yuna's maid for quite a while before she left and even though Sakura was still polite they considered each other to be friends.

"Yuna-sama, may I help you with anything?" Sakura asked. She almost would've asked why was Yuna even visiting, but that was considered impolite for a maid to stuff her nose into a master's business. Yuna paused for a moment and she did remember one thing that she could use help with.

"Sakura...is my mother or father around? I'd like to talk with at least one of them if possible." Sakura nodded and Yuna followed her. Sakura's chest was warm. It was quite surprising that Yuna came back. Quite a few rumours had been floating around about her absence. Everyone knew that she was living with the Uchihas, but no one knew why had she abandoned her family.

"Hikari-sama should be free at the moment. Your father is on a meeting." Sakura said smoothly as she walked quite quickly through the halls. Almost like a ghost glides through the deserted halls. Yuna had no problem keeping up with Sakura's pace though.

Sakura stopped behind a door and knocked. Sakura waited until Yuna heard Hikari's voice faintly, permitting them to come in. The woman didn't expect to see her daughter though.

In just a moment Hikari was up with a smile playing on her lips. Sakura left quickly, and quietly. Hikari and Yuna didn't even hear the door close. When Yuna came to visit her home she didn't know what was she going to think of her mother, or her family. She didn't expect to feel like...that last few weeks of her life have been erased.

"I miss you." Slipped out from her mouth. Yuna didn't see Hikari's expression. She assumed it was a smile, but Hikari's face was blank. The kind words sent from Yuna fell to the ground like dead leaves. When Yuna let go a polite smile appeared on Hikari's lips.

"My darling come sit down. How are you doing?" She asked. Yuna sat down across her mother on a comfortable pillow. Her hands were resting on her thighs. Yuna's eyes looked into her mother's and she felt a warm feeling in her chest. It felt so childish that with just a small encounter Yuna had turned into a lonely child who desperately clung onto her mother.

"Well things are quite chaotic right now, but I'm fine personally. I came here though because Madara is inviting you, dad and Eiko to a dinner in the Uchiha compound." Yuna said quite neutrally. She didn't have to lie anything because Madara hadn't given her the reason yet. Hikari's eyebrow rose.

She didn't expect the leader to invite them.

"We'll all come but may I ask what's the occasion?" Hikari questioned further. Yuna shrugged innocently. That's what Madara wanted him to look, like a child who appears to be lost.

"Madara simply said that the last time he met you was quite a while ago, and even that was too brief."

All lies.

Uchiha Madara doesn't need people; he needs tools to fight for his sake.

Yet Hikari simply nodded, not asking for any further explanations. She could see that even Yuna didn't know. It was a clever move from Madara.

Yuna fiddled on her spot and glanced at Madara with a displeased look for a moment. She sighed and looked at her hands. The woman felt like a traitor, like she has brought death sentence to her family. Madara didn't tell her the reason though; it was just a hunch in her stomach. She kept repeating over and over again, that it's just a hunch. There is no proof that anything is wrong. The dinner might be about a different subject.

"You're a real ass. Could you tell me the reason?" Yuna tried to hold her voice down. She wouldn't mind if she could dine in a pair of grey, baggy sweatpants, but NO the Uchiha leader wants the mistress to look perfect and therefore orders some poor maid to dress her up.

Madara didn't sigh, his eyes slowly moved to Yuna before back in front of him, "The reason I'm not saying anything is because I'm not completely sure. If I can prove my points then...you'll probably understand by then." Madara's eyebrow twitched when Yuna snorted and crossed her hands on her chest before looking away stubbornly. Madara pushed a few strands of hair away from his face.

Women were so troublesome. Madara looked up when he heard footsteps outside the door. The door was slid open by a maid and the family of 3 entered. Madara made a small nod.

"Kunisada Aoi-sama, Hikari-san, Eiko-san welcome. I'm grateful that you accepted my request." Yuna's eyes widened. She had never seen Madara speak politely. That man would even put his feet on the table and fall asleep on a meeting with the feudal lord! He really seemed to be plotting something. For this time, Yuna decided to step back and do or ask absolutely nothing and see where the current takes her.

Her father hadn't changed, his eyes were harsh as usual, but a small smile appeared on his lips when he saw Yuna. It disappeared relatively fast. The 3 Kunisada members bowed. Aoi was the one who talked.

"We're grateful that a busy person like you has found time for us." Aoi said sternly. Yuna sighed. She hated those family dinners.

Everything said seemed like it was practised beforehand. Then again, weren't the dinners just a game of plotting and messing with the other side while making a pleasant face?

Yuna's eyes trailed to her younger sister whose eyes were wandering around. Those eyes took in every smaller detail of the room. How big it was and what material was used to make the tables. When her eyes landed on her older sister she smiled automatically. It wasn't a fake smile, but something that happened so naturally already.

The family sat down behind the table and the servants brought in the dinner.

Yuna sipped her tea quietly, not trying to make a conversation with Eiko. She didn't feel comfortable talking with her sister when her parents and the arrogant husband were present. Something that private wasn't meant to a dinner party.

The small sentences that were exchanged were brief and didn't contain much information. The only thing that happened was that Yuna accidentally spilled some tea onto her thigh. Madara looked at her and sighed. The kimono cost quite a lot. He was thinking before, but that distracted him. Eiko poked her sister's shoulder and leaned down to her ear.

"Could you show me where the bathroom is?" She whispered. Yuna couldn't help but to giggle, but she quickly shut up when she saw everyone looking at her. Yuna bowed lightly.

"Excuse us please, we'll be back in a short moment." Yuna said and together they got up and walked out. Yuna closed the door and together they ran away quietly.

When the two were far enough they started laughing. Yuna took her hand and they walked through the halls. Eiko looked up smiling.

"Hey Yuna...do you know this place like the back of your hand already?" She asked. Yuna looked down to her before giggling, "Are you kidding me?" She asked laughing, "This place is gigantic. I just know my way around some places." Yuna hadn't smiled that much for quite a long time.

Eiko sighed and gestured Yuna to lean in closer. The woman got down to her sister's level, "What is it?" she asked. Eiko raised her hand and placed it on Yuna's forehead. Yuna's blue eyes went wide, before they looked empty. She felt onto her knees with a small thump. Eiko held her from falling. The polite smile had melted away from her face.

"Sorry, _sister_ but I haven't got another choice...I'll just look through your memories alright...It won't hurt." Eiko mumbled to herself. Her brows were knitted in concentration as she tried to scan through the memories quickly. She doubted that anyone would come there soon.

What Yuna saw wasn't horrifying though, and it wasn't uncomfortable. It probably wasn't uncomfortable because she was Eiko's sister. What the woman saw was actually quite beautiful.

When Yuna opened her eyes she found herself on a meadow. She looked around, feeling quite confused.

"What is this place?" She asked out loud. Yuna looked down and she was still wearing the kimono she wore to the dinner party. The sun was warming her, exactly the way she liked. It wasn't too hot or too cold. The heat level was sitting exactly somewhere in the middle.

She got up and smiled. The meadow was covered with white lilies. Yuna loved those flowers. She reached down to pick one up, but just as her nail touched the flower it disappeared. Yuna jumped back and looked around. The woman just caught a glimpse of the meadow before all it disappeared. The pieces fell apart like a puzzle. Until there was only darkness. She was losing consciousness, which made Yuna laugh. _It's a dream isn't it? How could you faint in a dream?_

Eiko let go of Yuna, and before her sister had hit the ground she was already running. In Yuna's memories, she found exactly what she needed. All she had to do was get in. Killing one or two members won't be that hard. It's all for the clan. Eiko didn't look back.

Madara's fingers were thumping against the surface of the table. His eyes snapped to Aoi and Hikari. Both of them had a glint in their eyes. Hikari was the one that broke the silence.

"Uchiha-sama...surely you have noticed by now?" She asked from the man with an amused voice. Hikari and Aoi both got up and so did Madara. Madara had a deadly look in his eyes, for a moment there was surprise when it dawned to him.

"You did it...when Yuna spilled her tea...I should've thought of that. Though I have to ask...Why all of this?" Madara said.

The couple smiled, "Because it was a game. Where's the fun if we just barge in? When we can slowly gain your trust." Said Aoi.

A normal person wouldn't have seen the quick movement in which Madara threw two daggers at the Kunisada clan members. They disappeared, leaving a log behind. Madara snorted. He fell for such a simple thing like the replacement technique.

Izuna rushed in to the hall and looked at the empty room. Madara looked like he was going to kill the person entering, but when he saw Izuna that wish ceased.

"The girl escaped. We have people checking the documents...They're cleverer than we thought I guess..." Izuna's voice was far from pleasant or cheerful. Madara walked past him to see the damage himself but Izuna wasn't finished.

"They found the mistress as well. She was lying on the floor with her look empty. The mistress hasn't gained consciousness yet." Madara stopped for a moment. He didn't look back but snorted instead, "Why should I be interested?" He asked and kept walking.

Izuna sighed deeply. The stupid, stubborn brother of his... The Uchiha suffered great loss that evening. Izuna had predicted their movement wrong. No one ever thought that the youngest Kunisada present would be the one to go and try to steal the documents in the library. Where she even got the info of the location was unclear, but Izuna wanted to interrogate Yuna when she wakes up.

The man looked up to the sky. If she wakes up.

That night, the people were even scared of Izuna. No one dared to say a word. They all worked in silence, hoping for the best because it was quite clear that this was going to turn into a possible war. Izuna punched the wall near him.

"Damn it!" He shouted. It wasn't directed to anyone, but many heard it.

When even Uchiha Izuna openly showed his anger then things couldn't be good.

_Though I'm afraid that __if I return, the mansion won't be there anymore._

_I wouldn't have a place to return to...once again_


	15. Chapter 15

15.

Nearly a week had passed since the incident. A strange silence was lingering in the Uchiha compound. It was an irritating silence that slowly started to suffocate you. Madara was sitting in his room, feeling quite irritated. The situation could've been worse. Eiko didn't have time to search for the scrolls about the Sharingan, but that cost him the life of the keeper. The fact that it was related to the Kunisada family had caused some disturbances in the clan.

Specifically because the clan mistress was from the same clan, and a lot of people were convinced that she knew about it all, while there were a few of those who dared to suggest that there is a slim chance that the young woman really didn't know that she was first used and then ditched by her clan.

It was confirmed that the Kunisada household was empty. Madara had sent men to try to find something to explain Eiko's abilities, but the men came back empty handed.

Now all that he had left was his pitiful wife who had been sleeping the entire week. The clan's best medic had seen her, and confirmed that she's completely well, no coma or permanent damage was caused and the only thing they could do was wait for her to wake up.

If you can't find the secret libraries of the Kunisada use on to find them for you.

Madara hadn't gone to the place personally. He knew very well that important things concerning the clan were always very well hidden and only a group of selected people knew the locations.

His hand was clenched into a fist on the table. The waiting was irritating for he wasn't a very patient man to begin with and then his _idiotic _wife decides to play sleeping beauty when she could be useful for once. Madara paused for a second.

Was he perhaps a bit too harsh? His irritation often made him say things he maybe didn't meant, but he certainly didn't take anything back. The Uchiha got up sharply and left his office.

He walked towards a room that was left alone most of the time. Only Yuna's bodyguard was there, sitting behind the door with an almost bored expression. Madara didn't really care if he was there or not. No one cared about Yuna enough to attack her.

He entered the room and slammed the door shut harshly. It didn't break yet though. Madara stomped to the bed and sat down on the edge.

Yuna's breaths were steady and calm, her brown hair was sprawled around her and her lips had a peaceful smile on them. Madara listened to the sound of her deep breathing for a few minutes before he sighed.

"Would you just wake up already woman?" He snapped at her, even though he knew that she wasn't going to magically open her eyes it didn't stop his frustration. The woman was there with a nonchalant expression, completely unaware what's happening outside her dreams.

The season had smoothly changed to autumn and it was already a little too cold to keep the windows open. The room was dim, it bothered Madara a little. It wasn't light enough to see normally, but it wasn't dark enough to light a candle. It was still warm nevertheless. Madara frowned for a moment before he sighed deeply. The only way to wake up Izuna when he was seriously tired was to say stuff that was complete bullshit.

"I really need you and can't live without you." Madara said really quickly. His eyes shifted to her face yet no change.

"I care about you more than I care about Izuna."

"You're the woman of my dreams."

"I love you." Madara said through gritted teeth. Nothing happened for a few moments and he got up to leave.

"You WHAT!" Madara's head snapped back to Yuna who seemed fully conscious with a bewildered expression on her face. Madara felt his eyebrow twitch and he slowly forced his face to calm down, trying to ignore that he could see a bit of Yuna's boob from the yukata she was in.

"I was only trying to wake you up after you conveniently slept through a week because Eiko knocked you out god knows how." Yuna's expression changed almost instantly. She got up carefully and straightened the yukata before walking up to Madara. Her eyes bore into his and she smiled softly.

"So they deceived us?" Her question wasn't directed to Madara. She scoffed and turned around slowly and took a few steps before stopping. Her hands were crossed on her chest. Madara couldn't help but to find her elegant in that attire, in that situation. Madara's mood shifted back to serious.

"There are a lot of people in the clan who believe that you were working with you clan when they caused the commotion and left with some valuable information supposedly." Madara watched Yuna's reactions. She didn't move or say anything. Her eyes were looking at the closed window in front of her with a blank stare. The warm atmosphere from before had melted away.

"I had no idea of their intentions." Yuna's voice was relaxed, somewhat distant even. It was dawning to her that the only thing that she had left was a clan that didn't trust her and decided to sacrifice her and a husband who doesn't care about her.

Madara was about to continue but Yuna cut him off, "You said that you love me so easily, even though you didn't mean it. Don't you think that it's a bit heartless?" She questioned.

The Uchiha's black eyes stayed on her figure calmly, but warily and with caution. He ignored her statement and continued.

"I suspected as well that you didn't know about their intentions, so I'm giving you a choice. You can walk away from us to your clan. I wouldn't send anyone after you, our marriage would be gone, but if I'd see you again I wouldn't think of you as my ex wife but as a Kunisada and I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Are you staying or leaving?"

Yuna's lips turned up to a smile. All the irony of the situation reflected from that small smile.

"Madara my clan forced me into a marriage, plotted something behind my back using me as a scapegoat and in the end ditched me." She looked over her shoulder, causing a few strands of hair fall from her shoulder, "I wouldn't go back to them even if they'd be willing to take me." Her voice was dead serious.

Madara closed his eyes for a small moment.

"Thank goodness, saves me from a lot of crap from the clan. Go get washed up or something because you stink." Madara said and brushed it off casually. Yuna would've usually gotten angry because of his attitude, but not this time.

Madara turned to leave the room, but Yuna grabbed his wrist. He turned to her with surprisingly calm eyes.

"You would've allowed me to go?" She asked with a small amount of curiosity in her voice. Madara's smirk widened.

"Most likely." He said quietly and pulled his hand away from Yuna's grip. The woman scoffed amusedly. She walked past her bodyguard who was up in a second and followed her.

Those Uchihas who were in the hallway were quite shocked to see the mistress up and walking around as if nothing happened. She was looking a bit inappropriate with her hair down and tangled, one shoulder showing a little too much under the yukata that looked like it might fall off, but she didn't pay attention to those details. Yuna turned around to her bodyguard and smiled politely.

"Could you have someone prepare a bath for me?" She requested. He bowed respectfully without a word and walked off. Yuna wanted to go to her bedroom first to grab some clothes.

She was completely clueless of the situation, but the woman felt too tired to think of it. Even though she had slept through the entire week Yuna felt like she was going to collapse.

When she entered her room, Yuna's eyes widened in surprise. There was a large shelf pushed against the wall, and it was filled with the souvenirs that she had bought, and even the clothes were put away properly. A smile caressed her lips. Even though Madara probably did it because the clothes annoyed him on the ground, it was still sweet.

She walked to the shelf and her hand reached out to a black and blue yukata. Yuna's eyes looked at the fabric and a smile formed on her lips. She brushed it off and grabbed the yukata and her hairbrush and headed to the bathrooms. Her steps were fast, but they felt heavy in her point of view.

She wasn't surprised to find her stern bodyguard waiting for her already with a slightly frightened maid beside him. Yuna walked up to them and smiled softly.

"I'd like to be on my own please." She said to the maid. Yuna wasn't feeling well enough to play nice around the people while she had to sort things out in her mind first. The maid looked taken aback, but slightly disappointed. Yuna guessed that it was because she wouldn't be able to get anything from her to gossip about later.

Her guard sat down and Yuna entered the steamy bathroom. She put her clean clothes to a bench on the edge and untied the strap holding her current yukata around her. It slid off her skin smoothly and fell on the floor, crumpled around her feet. Yuna took her comb walked across the room and took one towel with her and placed it a bit away from the bath, but still into her reach, and stepped inside the steaming water.

She decided that it would be better to work through the mass of tangled hair before washing it. It took a little cussing and conditioner to work through it, but in the end her hair was loose and still intact to her head.

Yuna's eyes were looking in front of her the entire time. When Eiko looked through her memories she had realized that her family had betrayed her, but while she was out Yuna was in the most beautiful place that was without pain, anger and tears. She felt at peace, and a small part of her hoped that maybe her family took her with them. It was a foolish dream because it was quite obvious that they lacked time, and Eiko didn't have the strength to carry her out.

It felt like someone had punched a hole inside of her. She didn't know what to believe in anymore. Was her family...no family is the wrong way to put it, were those people planning this all along? Did Eiko agree to it without a second thought, casting away everything those two had done together? Yuna pulled her knees up to her chest and put her chin on her knees. Couldn't they get her agreement beforehand? Now it just made them seem selfish.

Yuna finished her bath quickly and put on the new clothing. It had the smell of a new clothing, the smell of fabric. The scents of soap, skin and perfume haven't gotten on it yet. Her hair was damp, even after drying it with the towel thoroughly. It left small wet blotches onto her clothing.

The woman brushed her hair for the very last time before putting it into a low, and a bit messy, bun. She left everything else there, not bothering to clean up. Yuna wasn't a neat freak to begin with anyway. The mistress stepped out from the bathroom and smiled politely at her bodyguard.

"Could you take me to Madara?" She asked the man. Without a word he began walking. Yuna wasn't sure if he really knew where Madara was or did he just assume but after a few minutes he stopped behind a door. The door was thin, made out of wood and some paper like a lot of things in Japan because of the earthquakes. On the same time the doors didn't hold sound so Madara probably knew that she was there already.

Without waiting for a response or anything at all Yuna slid the door open and walked in. Madara was sitting on a cushion and was smoking a pipe again near the window. Yuna breathed in the scent before moving to him. Madara's eyes didn't move from the small crack he had left open and continued looking outside.

She walked to him quietly and sat next to him. Yuna hesitated for a moment, but she did something that happened out of a simple desire. Her hand reached out and turned Madara's head carefully towards him. She leaned forward, supporting her body with her hand and pressed her lips against his.

When he first kissed her Yuna never noticed the small details like how warm or soft his lips actually were. It didn't last long. She pulled away and put her head onto his shoulder.

Madara, who hadn't expected that, looked completely blank. His eyes lingered on Yuna's for a while before turning away. He continued smoking his pipe like nothing happened.

"Why aren't you pushing me away? You always tell me how you don't care about me..." Yuna's voice was almost a whisper. Madara seemed all too nonchalant about the situation.

"Because you are probably having a breakdown right now, so the easiest thing is to let you do whatever you want for you to stop complaining. You're probably going to fall in love or regret what just happened later." He sent out another puff of smoke. Yuna's lips turned to a smile.

"I'm just a little angry on them." Yuna said, her voice sounding almost amused. Madara's eyebrow rose.

"Then just get revenge on them. They have started war with us anyway so it doesn't really matter if you want to kill your fa-." Yuna's stare cut him off, "Don't say family. They aren't anymore." Madara chuckled softly.

"You might say this now, but what if the fate of this war depends on you, what if you have to look into little Eiko's eyes, listen to her last pleads and feel the warmth leave her body as you kill her?" Madara's voice sounded amused slightly, and somewhat distant. Yuna's eyes looked up to him and she smiled.

"If she did this willingly, and completely knowing what will happen then I won't hesitate...but if otherwise I might consider other options." Yuna's voice trailed off and Madara sighed.

"That attempt would be futile since I have an entire army under my command that wouldn't have a problem killing that girl. They don't give a damn about how it will affect you." Yuna's eyebrow rose and she looked up.

"Do you think that they would kill me with her if they had to?" She questioned. Madara looked down to her with a smirk on his lips.

"If you're someone I cherish by then, then I wouldn't let them." Yuna couldn't help but to giggle at his expression before relaxing a bit. Madara had finished smoking the pipe by now. He placed it down and sighed. It didn't seem like she was going to leave soon. Her hair was making his shirt damp. Minutes passed quickly.

After a while when Madara felt that he should resume work he looked down to his shoulder to see Yuna sleeping on his shoulder. He scoffed quietly. Didn't she sleep for the past 144 hours already? Why did it even have to be his poor shoulder she fell asleep on?

Madara shook his head and carefully, while supporting her head, neck and body got up and put her head carefully on the cushion where he sat on previously and left her there. He shut the window and sat behind his desk again. Unconsciously his finger brushed over his lips, before he smirked.

What a foolish woman.


	16. Chapter 16

16.

The clan...the clan...it's the only thing that people in the Uchiha thought about. Sometimes Yuna wished that she could be one of the maids. They had more freedom than those who were on a higher position. The higher you get, the faster your world will shrink. Yuna gripped the fabric of her yukata.

Before she woke up, the girl had a pleasant dream. It wasn't something special or very creative.

In her dream, she was sitting on the warm grass. She was a few years younger, her hair was shorter and her body was more childish. Her eyes were clearer, a bit calmer maybe.

Eiko ran up to her, with some flowers in her hands. Yuna had recognized them as the weeds that the gardeners hated. Those flowers were from another place though.

She couldn't hear what did she say, but it made Eiko's face sadden a lot. After that Yuna had taken the flowers from Eiko's hands and made a crown for her out of them to spark up the girl's mood.

Yuna vaguely remembered putting the crown on Eiko's head. Completely meaningless...the flowers would be dead in an hour or two and the beauty would be gone. Those were weeds anyway so no one cared for them anyway. There were plenty more in the world.

Her eyes shot open suddenly and looked the ground in front of her. Her eyes travelled across the room, to Madara's desk and up to his strong face.

In the back of her head Yuna had always somewhat admired his beauty. There were a lot of beautiful people in the Uchiha, but Madara stood out. The woman hadn't figured out did she like his face only because it belonged to him? Or because no one really knew how cruel that man could be.

People are so easily deceived because of beauty. It's like a natural weapon.

"Are you hungry?" She heard Madara ask. He noticed that she was staring him. Yuna pushed herself up from the ground and noticed a tray placed a bit away from her.

It had a plate of sushi on it, accompanied with tea and a small cake. Yuna couldn't help but to smile a little. She pulled the tray closer and touched the teapot carefully.

It was hot.

As if Madara knew exactly when she'd wake up. She poured it to the cup and looked up to him. Madara was still observing her carefully.

"Is there a favour that you need? You've been suspiciously kind." Yuna's voice was polite almost. She generally didn't like to be used, but it would keep her occupied.

Madara chuckled and leaned back.

"You're smart. I might need a favour, unless you can answer my questions." Yuna plopped a piece of sushi in her mouth and took a sip of tea.

"You want to know about Eiko's power." She said nonchalantly. Madara didn't consider it her becoming more observant. It was that logical thing to ask.

"I'm not completely sure, but I've heard of it in the clan. They say that the finder of our clan, Kunisada Hikari was killed by her sister; others say that she died through an accident, but that isn't important here.

The reason why Hikari became the leader because she had a certain power, almost like a witch's, to see into you with a touch. It's incredibly straining on the mind and may cause the same thing that happened to me, a blackout for a very long time.

It's said that she can look through your memories and find what she needs, but it is a double ended sword. When you look through someone's mind you also gain the memories that you looked through, so the user has to know exactly what, when and where did the even happen that he or she wants to see. If the head is too full of memories you'll go insane in the end.

It varies from person to person. Some have died because of their own stupidity, others because they had a weak mind. The Hikari from a few generations ago lived up to 52 years until she finally broke and went insane. It was quite a bloody mess that she created. I don't know the details or the limits of the power though."

Yuna paused and snorted in bitter amusement. Kunisada Hikari was killed by her older sister, now it looks like history is repeating itself. Madara couldn't hide that he was surprised, and shocked. The Uchiha hadn't heard of a power like that, the Kunisada clan was always considered quite irrelevant because they lacked a bloodline and military power. Now it seems like they rely on the mind and schemes.

"Your clan doesn't seem very...caring of each other." Madara noted slowly. Yuna couldn't help but to laugh, just laugh it all out, but the bitter laughter was slowly being replaced with tears.

They didn't stop, no matter how hard she tried. Madara looked away. He hated, absolutely despised weak people.

"They...only don't care about the ones they don't need." Yuna said between cries. She shook her head and hid her face into her hands. It was embarrassing to cry in front of him.

She had been quite calm almost through everything that had happened but it was all just coming out, and it wasn't stopping. Madara groaned.

"Jesus you woman and your emotions!" He shouted, already feeling annoyed with a crying woman already. Madara wasn't generally used to dealing with crying women. The women he had knew very well that he wasn't a good person. So they didn't cry when he hurt them over and over again.

The women always came back like masochists and left feeling hurt all over again. The cycle kept repeating itself endlessly. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard something break.

Yuna had taken the teapot and slammed it across the room with all her strength. It flew against the wooden pillar across the room. The shards flew everywhere around and the tea spilled. Madara snorted annoyed.

So now she felt arrogant enough to start breaking things?

"I put up with all the shit they threw at me; I did every fucking mission they told me to. I've destroyed so many families, taken so many fathers from their families who need them and lived with the guild for years, knowing that it will all end someday and in the end I am the scapegoat who is left to die like a freaking injured animal with an asshole who doesn't give a damn if I live or die!" She was already screaming.

It wasn't directed to anyone in particular. She didn't care anymore that Madara thought that she was weak, she didn't care that her bodyguard would laugh over her with his friends later, she didn't care that the entire Uchiha clan was probably laughing at her.

Madara felt certain nostalgia in her story. How many families has he destroyed before? How many children were left homeless because of him or had a missing limb because of the war that happened to take place on their country and they got caught under the debris? Madara had lost count a long time ago.

Killing had become something natural for him to do. It was for survival.

"Are you telling me that you want to die already?" Madara asked. Yuna miraculously calmed down. She looked up and smiled.

"Death is a good thing sometimes...it welcomes you with warmth and open hands, ready to allow you rest from the outside world and be whatever you want to be. Maybe I'll be reincarnated to another era that's better. Though I don't know if I have given up on life entirely." Madara didn't pay much attention to the first part of the story.

"Then find some way to be useful. It's pitiful to die before you've done something to leave a mark." Madara noted. Yuna shook her head and pushed the few loose strands of hair away from her face that had fallen there.

"If you are talking about helping you in the war then that would be wrong. Both of you are the bad ones in this game. Helping you because of being blinded by anger is wrong...but tell me Madara...Why do I want to do it so much? Even though I know it's wrong why do I feel like I need to make them feel pain so they could go through the same?" Madara sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. At least she wasn't crying anymore.

"Then give in. Our clan needs your help to find the libraries that contain information about Eiko's power. The compound is abandoned, but those libraries are built so those who have to find them can find them." Yuna wiped her face with the sleeve.

"You sure that they didn't take everything with them? I'm quite sure that they were planning to leave as soon as you invited them over." Madara smirked.

"Well I was hoping that maybe Eiko would do you a favour and leave something behind...it won't hurt to look." Madara's voice was innocent enough, not understanding the pain that Yuna felt. He didn't want to understand it.

"Are you an idiot? It won't hurt you to look since the only thing you really do is sit around in your fucking office all day doing nothing! It will hurt me mentally!" Madara's fist slammed against the table.

"Don't cross the line woman. Thanks to me you, along with everyone here haven't been killed! If I have to I'll lock you up in your mansion until you start spitting information!"

It was like a lovers' quarrel. Meaningless, stupid and not moving anywhere. Yuna couldn't contain her smirk.

"And how are you planning on forcing me to look for the libraries? If I have to I'll get adapt to the new conditions. Heck it's like being home without a jerk of a husband!"

"Please."

Yuna's eyes widened. She didn't expect it. The strong, stubborn and completely idiotic man looked at her calmly.

"Please help us, since you're the only one. Izuna tried to find the documents, but that was before we knew that Kunisada is guilty. The mansion was too crowded to snoop around successfully without killing anyone. It would be a good way to approve the clan's opinion of you and prove that you are on our side in this war." Yuna's fist tightened. Damn that man. He knew exactly her weak points and used them against her. She needed to prove herself to the clan and refusing would be suspicious and would make things only worse.

"Fine." Was her final word. Madara smirked victoriously. In the end everyone bowed down to the Uchiha in the end. Yuna looked up and sighed.

"Sorry about throwing the tantrum." She said quietly. It was the type of apology where you didn't mean it. Remember when you bit that kid when you were younger and your mother made you apologize? You did, even though the bitch deserved it.

Madara's eyes weren't looking at her anymore. The apology slipped past his radars.

"If it makes you more comfortable I'm not going to send anyone to follow you, or in to the libraries, but if you find something I want you to bring the documents back." Yuna rose from the ground and nodded. She headed to the door and slid it open.

"Yuna, don't take the guard. There are plenty in and around the building. You're a ninja even if someone attacks, but I highly doubt that they will." Yuna nodded and looked at her guard who got up and left without a word. The smile faded from her lips.

That's how it was around here. Everyone was silent.

*0o0*

Yuna sighed and took off her shoes. It was a habit, when she was a child she often ignored that rule and got scolded by her mother often. Yuna didn't think that she'd ever come back to snoop around in the libraries. She had been to those just a few times before, but from what she heard it wasn't perfectly organized.

The girl saw Uchiha men standing on the roof posts, looking around carefully just in case an enemy approaches. Yuna sensed a few inside the building as well, but they were patrolling.

The guards were notified already that Yuna would be coming but even without a notification Yuna had all the authority to walk in. Besides being the clan mistress she was also the only Kunisada left to keep up the building, though Yuna didn't have any plans on doing that.

She looked around and the sense of nostalgia came again. It was annoying considering that she just was in that building.

The woman strolled down the halls. She knew the place like the back of her hand. Kunisada lived in a place much more smaller than the Uchiha. They were small, but not that small. Even so living in the Uchiha compound made her nervous and careful, but this place would grow to you after a while.

The structure is easy to remember and everything is positioned logically.

The halls were dim. The warm summer had smoothly switched to autumn, which meant early darkness, rain and beautiful yellow leaves.

Yuna passed a courtyard and stopped. In the middle of it was an old tree. She didn't know which one it was, the girl never asked.

She stepped onto the grass, her bare feet caressed by the cold grass softly. Yuna stopped under the tree and looked up. Some of the leaves were still green; a few had already fallen to the ground.

It reminded her of a time when she was younger, Hikari was 7 months pregnant with Eiko. Yuna was maybe around 6 years old. It was autumn, just like it was now. She had been playing with the piles of leaves.

"Yuna," her mother had said, "dead leaves are like the people the clan doesn't need you know. Make sure you don't become one." The woman's voice was calm. Yuna stopped playing and sat into a pile.

"Why do people think that autumn and winter are pretty seasons?" She asked from her mother.

"What do you mean, Yuna?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow. The meaning behind Yuna's words was confusing her.

The small girl had pouted and crossed her hands on her chest because she didn't like it when people couldn't understand her way. Putting emotions and thoughts into words was difficult for her then, "In the autumn everything is dying and in the winter everything is already dead...

Does that mean that death is a beautiful thing?" Hikari's eyes were surprised for a moment, but a smile appeared on her lips suddenly.

"I guess so."

The seemingly cold answer didn't mean much for the six year old child. Yuna let her body fall onto her back again and stared up to the leaves. She missed the green glow the leaves gave when the sun shone through them.

"Perhaps it's an artistic thing?" She questioned out loud.

"What is?" Yuna sat up suddenly and turned around sharply.

Izuna was leaning against one of the pillars with his hands crossed on his chest. Yuna wasn't surprised to find his trademark smile on his lips. Her eyes darted lower and she noticed that he was barefoot. A laugh escaped her lips.

"At least you're polite while inside the enemy's house." She said jokingly. Izuna didn't laugh though. Yuna didn't want or expect him to. Izuna walked up to her and saw down next to her. Yuna's body relaxed visibly. Izuna sighed with a calm smile.

"So he already sent you here. It's good to see you up though; you had me worried for a moment." Yuna's eyes moved to Izuna's face for a moment before she nodded.

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm quite sure that Madara didn't assign you just to guard this place. So what are you doing here?" Izuna's polite face dropped. Yuna hadn't seen it often.

"You're so forward. Annoying in some ways but a good trait. Madara sent me because he doesn't trust anyone else to lighten your workload." Yuna's eyebrow rose and she tilted her head to the side.

"More like you will report every dirty secret right back to him. Sounds like Madara was quite sure that I'll do this if he planned so far ahead. No way in hell will I let you in the libraries, we won't even talk about you seeing the documents." Yuna said sharply. Izuna snorted.

"Sounds like you're too attached to your clan. And Madara even said that he'd convince you on our side!" Yuna got up and crossed her hands on her chest.

"This isn't about loyalty; this is about my ways of life. I have given my word that I will do my best to keep outsiders out. If I could I would kick every Uchiha out of this compound because you haven't been invited here. I don't care about the people who share my blood, but there are things that are not meant for your eyes. As long as there is a possibility that you will use things in there against them I'm not going to give the documents to you. Madara agreed with me, I go in, I look everything through and I come out. There was nothing about a second person." Her eyes were stern, cold and hard. She hated the fact that it was like protecting her family when it wasn't.

Yuna wasn't fond to breaking her promises, and even though the promise she made to her family didn't matter anymore to them, it mattered for her. Izuna couldn't help it. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Well it's nice to know that you still have some respect for yourself. I expected something like this to happen. It's quite obvious that you can't look through everything quickly enough, but you can't let me in to the libraries. So bring everything back that could contain anything mentioning Eiko's abilities and bring them back. I'll call my men here so there's no way that anyone would follow you to find the location or locations. How is that to you?" Izuna explained it with a calm tone.

Yuna's eyebrow rose and she sighed.

"Send them off the compound. You are strong enough to know when someone is coming. I don't trust you very much, but I trust those men even less."

Izuna sighed. Madara wasn't going to like it, but if he didn't come back with any info he'd be even angrier. Finally he turned around.

"Alright, I'll send them out."


	17. Chapter 17

17.

Yuna,

I could apologize, but I don't think that I will. It wouldn't change anything. Since you're reading this, then that means that we've already left, and you've been left behind. Saying that I'm sorry for that is the right thing to do, but it won't bring us back together. No one made me do it. Both mum and dad were holding their breaths against the hope that I wouldn't run away with you. I considered doing it, but as it always is, the first sister kills the other one right?

None of it matters anymore. If I would have had the time I would've ran away with you. Knowing you, I highly doubt that you have become any closer with Madara. I won't be sane for a very long time anymore. Though...I should tell you something you don't know already. It's slowly starting, the footsteps. They're getting louder every day. It feels like the sand in the hourglass is running out. I don't know how long I can keep going on. Hurry up; maybe we could still go somewhere? If you want to you can go back to the Uchiha after my death, just stay with me for a while. Just lie for me this once. Tell them anything. I don't care what story you think of.

Please?

I love you

~0o0~

Izuna's eyes moved around carefully in the dim room. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed since Yuna left him there. She promised to be back with something to drink, light, and the documents. Izuna hadn't touched anything in the room. It appeared to be a dining room, a smaller one for a more reserved occasion.

The smooth surface of the table had a thin layer of dust on it. The situation was rather weird for him. He was inside an enemy's compound and he could use the time to sneak around and gather information. It had crossed his mind several times. Izuna was confident enough in his skills and knew that he could make it back without anyone noticing. There were plenty of places to hide anything he would take back to the Uchiha.

Izuna sighed and closed his eyes. Nothing was stopping him. Yuna might be the clan's mistress by name but she hasn't done much to earn it. A wife's job was to bear children. The advisors couldn't stop stressing how important it is since Madara could pass away at any battle. They didn't say it around him though. Something like that could result death. It's like telling Madara that he's weak.

"I refuse to die."

That was all that he had to say about the situation. It was rather childish and arrogant though. His nonchalant attitude about his personal life was worrying to some. To those lecherous men who secretly lusted for the head position it was good news...almost. Izuna and Madara had great support in the clan, and if something happened to Madara it was natural that Izuna takes up his position.

Izuna's eyes moved to the ceiling. It was mainly Yuna's fault, but no matter how hard he tried to ignore it Madara was the one to blame as well.

Minutes passed quietly and slowly. Izuna had realized it quite a few minutes ago that Yuna wasn't in the building anymore. He wasn't in any hurry to go and find her. Izuna was playing with the thought of telling something to Madara. It would make it seem like Yuna is a traitor, but he didn't have the mood to bring up even more tension. Everything was already hanging on a thread in the clan. It would make Madara look bad in front of everyone else.

The younger brother got up carefully and walked out of the dining room. He was going to bring Yuna back. Izuna's steps were quiet and calm as he walked through the building. It wasn't a good idea to leave the place unguarded, but he couldn't have this slip out that Yuna ran away.

He might've been somewhat manipulative and self-centred, but at times like this he thought about his brother first. Izuna took time to look around the building. Yuna's chakra had stopped moving so he had time. The man looked through various rooms. Most of them were smaller bedrooms.

As he was shutting the door of another one Izuna noticed something. He stopped for a moment before entering the room carefully. The man couldn't sense any traps so he relaxed. Izuna walked to the table and picked up the object of his interest. It was an envelope with Yuna's name on it.

Izuna didn't know whose room this was because the closets were empty and there were no pictures or personal things on the cupboards. For a short moment he hesitated. Should he put the envelope back on the table for Yuna to find? He couldn't deny that he was curious to see the contents of the letter. It could be something he could use, but what if the contents are not meant to be seen by anyone besides Yuna? If he left it there anyone could read it.

Izuna had made up his mind. Carefully he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. It was written with a neat handwriting. The person who wrote this had time. His eyes moved quickly as he memorized the contents quickly. It was very bitter, even for him. Izuna put the letter back into the envelope and into his pocket. He would give this to Yuna later at some point.

He left the room from the window and jumped down on the ground. His eyes moved towards the small road that led to the woods. Yuna had just been there. Izuna slowly began walking towards the destination. He wasn't sure where exactly she was because he hadn't had the chance to explore outside the compound.

Izuna had to admit, that he missed the freedom. He was a big shot in the clan and that gave him authority, but not lack of restrictions. He would've left, but only with Madara. That again was impossible because Madara loved power and he wasn't going to leave unless the entire clan would go against him. Madara's decisions were carefully made, since he had to think of what's right to do and what would keep the clan happy.

Izuna went through a row of bushes and ended up near a lake. It wasn't a very big lake, but it was quite average. The water looked clear and almost untouched. Izuna looked ahead and walked on the water towards the centre. It was getting dark already. Izuna didn't know what time it was, but he didn't particularly care either.

He stopped next to Yuna and looked down. She was on her back, eyes closed. Her hair was loose and it was in the water, forming gentle abstract shapes around her head. The tips of her fingers skimmed the water's surface. She wasn't sleeping; Izuna could tell as much, but Yuna seemed to ignore his presence.

"Why did you run away again? You know the current situation, stop acting like a spoilt brat and do what's right." Izuna scolded the girl with a relaxed face. Yuna opened her eyes and looked up with a small smile on her lips.

"Why? I don't belong to anyone anymore. Not to the Uchiha and not to my own clan. I'm completely free to do as I like." Izuna snorted and crossed his arms.

"If you don't belong to the Uchiha, then that means that you're not the mistress anymore which means that I can and might kill you right here, Yuna-sama. Or is it just Yuna now then?" He taunted. The woman's eyebrow rose and the smile disappeared.

"How would you explain my death to Madara, and to the clan?" She questioned. Izuna smiled softly.

"I don't have to explain anything. I'm pretty good at lying, and since Madara doesn't care for you he won't even investigate. I could tell them that you were trying to run to your clan and give them information about us. It's actually quite believable in your fragile state right now. If it would've been my decision I would have cancelled the marriage and just wiped out your entire clan from the start, Yuna-sama." Izuna said with a pleasant tone.

"You really don't have any mercy or a sense of coexistence..." Yuna said after a small pause. Izuna snorted.

"How do you think we've achieved so much; with brute force and determination." Yuna sat up with a smirk on her lips. The water from her hair made the surface of the water wave a little.

"Oh you must've had a very messed up childhood, Izuna-san. What is that power going to give you? The higher you climb the harder the fall." Izuna grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled her up sharply. Yuna's face was heavily guarded when Izuna's grip around her arm tightened.

"I'm not as patient as you think. If some stupid stunts like this could bring any trouble to Madara then I can't forgive you. Where are the documents?" He demanded. Yuna's face remained calm, though her heart was beating wildly. This was the time when she saw the true Izuna. Not the smiling, sweet, calm and patient man he seems like but the cold brute he is deep inside, under the layers of smiles and sweet words.

"Madara already knows everything he needs to know about Eiko's power." She said calmly. Izuna released Yuna's hand sharply and frowned.

"The why waste our time playing a hurt girl who needs understanding?" He snapped. Yuna sighed and shook her head.

"You're not the only one who wants to have a little fun every now and then. This wasn't as fun as it was a relaxing time out." Yuna took a sudden jump back as Izuna slashed out with his sword. There was an eight feet distance between the two. Izuna's face was cold while Yuna looked just shocked. Partly because of Izuna's actions but mostly because of Madara who had appeared out of nowhere. The look in his eyes sent chills down Yuna's spine and she wasn't sure which one she was supposed to be afraid of.

Izuna straightened up and put the katana away and took a few steps away from Madara.

"You don't have the right to raise hand against my wife and the clan mistress. If you weren't my brother I would break your bones right here, right now." Yuna's eyes were wide, while Izuna just kept his head down.

"My apologies, Madara." Izuna said quietly. Yuna looked at Madara for a moment.

"Please, don't fight...the two of you. I'm the one who should be apologizing." Madara's eyes snapped to Yuna.

"The rules are rules. I'm going to deal with you later." His voice was like a cold shower for Yuna. She quickly shut her mouth and looked away from Madara and Izuna. The woman wasn't exactly sure what to do now. Should she leave or...?

"Yuna, lunch is served soon. Head back to the compound." Madara said those words in a surprisingly calm voice. The thought of running away didn't even cross her mind. She wasn't bound to anyone, but if you're not bound to anyone then where's your home? She nodded and quietly walked away from the two brothers. Each of her steps made small waves around her feet. The atmosphere was calm around her. She had done a lot of thinking over the past few days and came to the conclusion that being kicked out might not be all that bad.

In her clan, those who left without a word were considered traitors and were treated like strangers or maybe even enemies later on. It wasn't as bad as it sounded. If you wanted to leave to another town for personal business or so you just had to go to the elders and get their permission. The elders very rarely said no and when they did it was always with a good reason. Yuna once left without saying anything once. She could remember it like it was yesterday when her parents begged the elders to forgive her.

It didn't take her long to get back to the Uchiha compound. Her hair was still quite damp and had left wet spots on her clothes but she didn't mind. Yuna strolled through the corridors to the dining room. She wasn't surprised to find the food freshly served.

Yuna sat down and started to eat; not really paying attention as to what was she was ingesting. In her mind she was trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Madara didn't look angry back there, at least not at her, but he might've been holding it in.

No that was ridiculous.

That man didn't hold things in. He threw tables through walls when he wasn't pleased with something. The minutes passed quietly and Yuna was full. She placed the chopsticks back on the table and lay down on her back. She closed her eyes and sighed. It probably was stupid to leave before Madara comes back. He might assume the worst and throw a tantrum. Without noticing it she slipped into a state between dreaming and being awake.

With a sudden jerk her eyes flew open. She saw Madara's back towards her. Slowly she sat up, supporting her body with her hands. Madara's eyes shifted on her for a moment before he turned back to his lunch again. Yuna had no idea what to think. She broke the silence after a few more seconds.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked quietly. Madara sighed and set his chopsticks to the side.

"Don't confuse Izuna's anger with mine. He's as stressed as everyone else and he didn't really like you to begin with." Madara took a sip and placed the cup down with a small thump. Yuna nodded slowly.

"Oh...well that's a shame." She said the words carefully. It came out a little more taunting than she expected but, Yuna did feel a bit uncomfortable. After all Izuna was going to have to put up with her for quite a while.

"So Madara...what's going to happen next?" Yuna laid back down into her previous position and stared at the ceiling. Things didn't have to turn out like this. Yuna still wasn't sure if it was just her or if Madara had become softer.

"Search and destroy. We don't have much of a choice because your clan doesn't seem to want peace with us. Those who go up against the Uchiha shall be destroyed."

A small smile caressed Yuna's lips.

"Fair enough."


	18. Chapter 18

18.

"So you're saying that I'm not fulfilling my purpose?" was her response to the stern looks on the men's faces. Her face was rock hard, eyes clear and calm which was unusual since Yuna didn't usually work hard to cover up her feelings. One of the men, his name was...Takeru...or something like that was up and he was mainly the one who did the talking.

"Yuna-sama, you should be aware why arranged marriages are even formed," he crossed his arms over his chest, but not in an arrogant manner, "and the clan's best interest always has to come first for both sides." A small smile caressed Yuna's lips.

_I guess I do owe them a little. It's like a ticket to freedom. _

"Alright then, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I'll take them under consideration." She bowed shortly before she got up and left the room. Yuna closed the door slowly and stopped for a moment. Her hair was left loose for the day and she was dressed in a casual pair of long black pants, a white shirt and a black jacket to keep herself warm.

It wasn't the same hot, burning sun anymore. Soon there will be a lot of rain and the world will turn yellow, red and brown. Yuna sighed as she walked aimlessly through the halls. She never really was a fan of earthy tones; the girl was more into cool tones like blues and greens.

The carefree time she spent in the Uchiha compound made her forget why she was even there, and apparently people were getting impatient.

"...well it's not our business to criticise the mistress!" Yuna heard a woman hushing someone else. They were just behind the corner so without a better idea to hide she jumped up to the ceiling. That was the moment she wished that she had taken a hair braid with her.

Just a second later two Uchiha women appeared from behind the corner.

"It is our business when she is ruining the clan! Madara-sama knows all of his duties and he is well aware that producing heirs is one of them. It's the mistress who's stopping the growth of our clan!" The right one said. The left one nodded agreeing.

"I've heard all sorts of stunts she has pulled. Quite a...spoilt brat she is to put it lightly. Madara-sama is giving her freedom, food, clothes, power and a place to stay yet she can't do a small favour back? I don't know what the heads were thinking when they agreed with this nonsense! Why is she..." their voices disappeared slowly and Yuna couldn't make out their words anymore.

With a small thud she landed on the ground and kept walking in a steady pace. It slowly turned from a slow pace to a fast one, from there on to jogging before she broke into a full run.

Yuna didn't notice the children playing in the puddles from yesterday's rain or the old lady who dropped her basket of fruits. She was heading towards the Uchiha forests. The voice in the back of her head told her to slow down so it wouldn't look like she was running away but her mind was in no mood to be reasonable.

She hurried through the crumbling leaves before she suddenly stopped. Her breaths were deep and slow. Yuna's eyes were closed slowly and she stood with her head down.

"I'm not trying to escape, if that's what you're here for." She said quietly into the air. It seemed as if no one was there, but after a few short moments a figure stepped out from behind the trees. It was a slim woman with a very familiar pair of black eyes. She was carrying a bag in her right hand. The grin on her face turned into a frown and she grabbed something yellow from her back and slammed it into the head of the Uchiha mistress.

Yuna gasped and opened her eyes and looked up. She raised her slim hand to touch her brown locks with disgust as they were now covered with a yellow mousse. She felt her stomach turn from cold and angry to shock. There was only one person who would do this.

"SAYU OH MY GOD!" She shouted with surprise and glanced her friend. Sayu didn't look like herself at all. Her hair was cut short and she was in a brown dress that was quite loose from the waist. The black haired woman raised her hand when Yuna took a step towards her.

"No hugs because you don't deserve them stupid Yuna!" She shouted. Yuna tilted her head to the side, causing the vanilla mousse to fall from her hair onto her clothes. She cursed out loud and sighed. It was too late now to save her white robe. It now had nice yellow, creamy dots on the right shoulder.

"Well you look..." Yuna's voice trailed off. She ducked quickly and looked behind her. Another pudding was spilled on the ground. The creamy sticky mousse had flown all around and the packages were somewhere near too. Littering in the Uchiha forest was something Yuna hadn't seen before.

"I'm PREGNANT you moron!" She shouted like an annoyed old woman. Yuna groaned in frustration and looked at her sticky fingers.

"Stop wasting your god damn pudding because of hormones!" Yuna yelled back at the insane woman and licked one of her own fingers. Yes, the pudding throwing was a real waste because that stuff tasted good.

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"You know that you could've gotten into a lot of trouble? Or maybe something worse." Yuna muttered while brushing her wet hair. Sayu snorted and took a sip before taking a bite from a cake.

"Shut it. I came here hoping to see that you have adapted, and now all I have to see is that you're losing it because of some bitches that were trash talking you?" A smile caressed Yuna's lips. She couldn't help it. Not seeing Sayu for so long made her realize how much she really needed someone to kick her and tell her to get real.

Sayu placed down the teacup and finished the cake slice.

"This is probably the last time I'm doing anything useful. I'm retiring sort of, for the baby and for my man. I can't leave him home alone with my kid wondering if I'll come back."

Yuna's eyebrow rose. Sayu was never that soft, but a baby does change people sometimes. A baby changes people a lot if even Sayu was ready to give up her life to go be a housewife. Sayu's eyes moved up from her lap.

"And this is probably going to be the last time I help you. We won't see each other for quite a while after this," she hesitated, "actually...I'm not sure if we'll see each other again."

Yuna who was working on a tangle in her unruly mane nearly yanked the comb along with her hair.

"What are you saying?" Yuna questioned. Sayu smiled softly.

"I have to hide for a while, until everything calms down. But I don't know if we can meet again or not after this. It all depends on what is going to happen."

Sayu raised her hand before Yuna could open her mouth. "Hush now, I tracked down your family and they might've sensed me or seen me. So that's why I am going to leave to Wind country, and I forbid you to cry because you know I hate it. If you really want to see me and my child then you will find me later when you have the chance."

Sayu took a piece of paper and cleared the table carefully not to spill anything. She wasn't usually polite, but she wasn't dumb either. The woman folded a map open with some markings.

"It was about two weeks ago when I spotted them, but their camp here," she pointed to the north-western part of fire country, "seemed pretty permanent. But boy they seemed ready for war. You have to take this to Madara and get him to get his men ready soon and be the first one to attack." Yuna was silent for a moment.

"So soon..." She muttered. The thought had been creeping around the back of her head for some time now. She knew that at one point the Uchiha was going to go up against...her clan and hers was probably going to lose, but it seemed so far away still. The face of her sister flashed into her mind.

"Did you see Eiko? How is she?" Yuna's face was lit with hope. She just needed to know that Eiko still has her sanity. Sayu's eyebrow rose.

"Why should there be anything wrong? I didn't see her though..."

Yuna looked down and sighed. Of course Sayu would be confused. She didn't know anything and it was better to keep it that way. Yuna shook off the look and sighed.

"I was just hoping to hear some news of her...she is still my sister." Sayu sighed and folded the map and put it into Yuna's hands. Yuna looked up, her clear eyes looking into Sayu's.

"Take this to Madara, now. This is your chance to fix your reputation here. So no more weakling Yuna! I can't leave you here when I know that you are thrown off by every rude comment you hear. I have to run though," she giggled "I feel like an illegal immigrant...smuggling myself out of the country. But I need a fresh start." Sayu got up and headed to the window. She stopped for a moment, the shopping bag dangling around her fingers.

"The baby is scheduled to be born around April." She said with a smile and waved before leaping out and running. Yuna hurried to the window and watched Sayu disappear to the woods. The map was still in her firm grip. Yuna's lips tightened and she stepped away from the window, holding back the tears that were threatening to slip out from the corners of her eyes.

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She opened the door without hesitation, faced with glances that were anything but happy, and the unhappiest of them all seemed to be her dearest husband.

"I'm in a meeting. Don't interrupt." Madara snapped to her wife. Yuna's eyebrow rose and a smug grin graced her lips as she waved the little piece of paper between her fingers.

"Alright, I'll just walk away with the biggest piece of information you need. Your loss...I'm going to walk out clean even if something happens." That was a lie. A big one but Yuna couldn't resist teasing a little. It was like Christmas had come early.

With just a second the disapproving looks were replaced with curiosity. Madara snorted as the eyes turned to him, demanding for him to control his wife. He groaned.

"Very well, what have you got?" Yuna just now noticed Izuna who was sitting in the corner of the room. His eyes were polite as they followed her movements closely.

"Well I have a map with my ex-clan's whereabouts." The expressions on the clansmen's faces were priceless. Madara was up within a second and in front of Yuna who took a gracious step back. Madara looked into her eyes, silently demanding her to give him the maps. He couldn't shout at her in public. She smiled politely.

"Only one condition." She said with a calm voice. It was balance. She had thought of that condition on the way there. Madara's eyebrow rose.

"What do you want? New clothes? A trip?" He demanded, growing impatient. Yuna shook her head.

"You seem to think a lot of me Madara-sama...No what I want is simple." Madara could feel his anger rising. This woman was being a nuisance and she was damn well enjoying it.

A moment of silence lingered between them.

"When you go to battle, I want to fight along with you and your men." Madara was not the only one who looked surprised, though his surprise was more of an amused than anything. It could turn out to be rather fun...now all he had to do was to convince the heads...though it shouldn't be hard since Izuna probably wouldn't mind anyway.

The room was completely silent, waiting to see Madara's response.

He grinned devilishly and held out his hand.

"You've got a deal."


	19. Chapter 19

19.

"What are we going to do after this is finished?" Yuna asked softly. She stood on a small block with her hands spread out while the servants were putting her armour on. Madara was already fully dressed and was waiting for her quietly. For the first time in a while he felt quite amused because he had no actual information on Yuna's skills and he wasn't in the mood to protect her. He wouldn't have the time to watch her constantly since his main goal is to destroy another clan.

'Another clan off the map once again. Were they ever going to run out?' he asked himself. It was already becoming a routine to do this. Madara wasn't heartless, not completely at least. He wasn't haunted by the blood and screams of the people he had killed, but there was a small corner in his heart that did feel sorry for all the bonds and lives he had destroyed. Just for a faint moment, Uchiha Madara caught himself looking in the mirror, with all the walls lowered and thinking; is this what I want to look like to others?

He loved power, and he enjoyed being there and all the morals and good will wasn't going to change that. So if he had to be an arrogant, inconsiderate jerk to achieve this, then he was ready for it. After all he didn't need anyone's approval.

Madara blinked, and his usual arrogant, proud look was back. He turned to look at his wife who looked very...well unusual. It was rare (if not the first time) to see an Uchiha woman fully armoured. Her brown hair was put up into a simple bun, decorated with a metal ornament. She made a small twirl with a smile on her lips.

"How do I look?" Yuna asked. Madara could tell that she probably felt like crying right now. He was one of the people who could imagine what it would feel like if you were told to cut your bonds and everything with your closest sibling.

"Decent enough, would you leave us for now?" Madara asked turning to the maids. They bowed and left the room quickly. Yuna's smile dropped and the familiar childish pout appeared on her lips.

"What's wrong now?" She asked and stepped down from the platform. Madara smirked.

"I don't want you to kill her immediately. Bring her back first." The surprise on her face was evident. There was a moment of silence between the two.

"You truly are a cruel man. Not that I didn't know that before, but still...What makes you think that I will even think of following that order? You already know that I have no problem defying you." She crossed her small hands on her chest and stared back at the man who had made her life a living hell. She knew quite a lot of people who would laugh it off and say "Well it's a marriage isn't it?"

Madara's smirk didn't fade: "Do you want to find out for yourself what happens?"

Her eyebrow rose, "So basically because of your insecurities, I'm the one who has to suffer," she asked him. Madara's hand twitched with the sudden urge to destroy something. That all-too-innocent look on the woman's face annoyed the hell out of him.

"What exactly makes you think that I'm insecure?" He asked in a surprisingly calm tone. Yuna wanted to sigh deeply. There was a man in front of him who was both clever and intelligent but when it came to self awareness he was completely oblivious.

"Because...you need to make sure that you're the stronger one. You could just let me be here; maybe I would've even started to like you by now, but you keep forcing me and being plain rude for your own fun and that makes you weak, because by bullying me you feel better about yourself." Giving her a nice strong smack at this point didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. Though doing that in the battle would be better because then it could be blamed on anyone else.

He forced the anger down, though just a little bit more so he wouldn't reach his limit. Madara turned around and walked to the door. He looked back over his shoulder, "Are we even hurting each other?

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Yuna was running along with the other Uchiha men. Her stomach didn't feel full, but it didn't feel like her body was craving for anything. Before they left she was given a pill that was supposed to keep her going for a few days. The men were moving in small packs, scattered around the area.

Madara was just a bit ahead of her. The men around her occasionally spared some glances at her, not sure how to act around her or what to do with her.

She wasn't slowing them down at all, but it still felt weird for her to be surrounded by men.

Madara's words didn't leave her mind. Now was not the time or place to ask, even if those could be the last couple of days they spend together. It didn't matter if one of them were to die, because the other one would be free. The chances of Madara dying were probably near zero, Yuna on the other hand didn't know what to expect. Madara hadn't explained the plans yet, he was going to do that in the evening when they stop for camp.

This dull running gave Yuna time to be alone with her mind. She didn't like it though, because distracting herself from her mind was what she wanted. It gave her some escape from the situation. If she had time to sit down and think about everything lately then she would probably break down and cry because this was one of those times where Yuna really felt that everyone had left her. First her family, then her best friend and now she had to go and kill her own sister who probably couldn't even tell right from wrong anymore.

It truly was a cruel, funny world in which she was living.

Yuna's eyes rose and drilled into the back of the long haired man in front of her. He probably wasn't in a good mood to begin with and Yuna only made it worse.

The minutes passed slowly. Even enjoying the beautiful autumn forest wasn't entertaining anymore. The crumbled leaves made a lot of noise when the group of ninja ran through them. The forest was clear of animals that day; it was probably because of the noise they were making. It made the forest interesting in its own way. Yuna missed the summer already.

She didn't particularly care for the heat, but the evenings were the best. You could lie down on the soft, cool grass and watch the rays of light disappearing slowly or listen to the cicadas crying around you. Everything would be alive.

Even if the summer came again with the heat, soft grass and cicadas it still wouldn't be the same as last summer. Last summer she was free and happier than ever, but now she could lie in the grass but in the end she still has to go back to that compound and sleep next to that man.

So why did they hurt each other?

It couldn't be for fun, Yuna thought, because there's always a deeper reason. Putting two stubborn people into a forced marriage was a wrong step, because neither would give in and accept the situation.

One thing Yuna could tell was that Madara hadn't cheated on her for quite a while. She could tell when he did. Sometimes he didn't bother to hide it, but occasionally he would lie carelessly and brush it off. Yuna couldn't put her finger on the fact why it bothered her so much that he was out with other women.

After a few hours Madara ordered them to stop and settle down for the night. They set up small tents to protect them from the rain and outside world. A fire was made to keep warmth and everyone gathered around it. Yuna was sitting on Madara's right. Her eyes stayed on the flames the entire time; she was barely listening to anything he told the men. After everything was discussed they ate a silent meal and went to their tents. Two men had to stay up to guard the campsite.

Yuna and Madara were staying in the same tent. She lay down and sighed deeply.

"What happens if you get a woman pregnant outside your marriage? Would he or she still be your heir?" Yuna asked, the question had dwelled on her mind from a long time ago and it just decided to pop out of her mouth out of nowhere. Madara's face didn't change despite the weird question.

"No, but..." his voice trailed off and the man paused for a moment before continuing, "I do have a daughter."

Yuna almost sat up. Just a second ago she was completely relaxed, or as relaxed as you can be in armour. She never thought of Madara as a father.

"Where is she? Do you know her name?" She asked carefully. It had been a while since she felt so free asking personal questions from Madara, without being afraid of him. She looked at his profile to make sure that he isn't angry.

Madara was thinking. The silence around them was almost perfect, except for someone's snoring from another tent and the cracking of the wood.

"Mitsuki, that's her name. She's about 2 years old now. I don't know anything else about her. Her mother took her and left when she learned that the clan wouldn't accept the baby," he scoffed, "What was she thinking that they would welcome her and the kid with smiles?" It was fascinating to see Madara talking so freely. It seemed as if he forgot about Yuna's presence and was thinking out loud.

"Do you want to see her again?" Yuna asked. This was her chance to find out something new about Madara. It was so unusual to see him so relaxed. Madara didn't hesitate to answer.

"It would be nice. I never got the chance to actually start loving Mitsuki since I didn't know about her until after she was born. I only saw her once and that was before her mother left with her." Yuna, for the first time ever, actually pitied him.

"Why do you want me to bring Eiko back alive? Is there any difference?" Madara looked up and his dark eyes bore into Yuna's before he sighed.

"Do as you want, just as long as she dies."

After that everything went quiet. Yuna stayed up and sat still, looking at Madara carefully. She listened to his slow, deep breaths. He was probably asleep. How he managed to do it so quick was a mystery to her. In the back of her head she was trying to guess what was he dreaming about?

For the first time in a while, Yuna was smiling.

She carefully pushed herself up and pecked Madara on the cheek.

"Good luck." She whispered before moving back to her side and turning her back to him.

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Yuna was in a crouched position, hiding in the treetops. About fifty feet away was the camp where her clan was staying. Somewhere in there was her sister. They were waiting for Madara's signal quietly, when she asked about the signal, all that he said was "You'll know it when you see it." She couldn't tell exactly where everyone was hiding. The night before Madara had some clansmen set landmines around the campsite.

Her clear eyes were looking the tents intensely. She could only assume that Eiko was somewhere in the centre of the campsite. She just had to look for her chakra.

Yuna's clenched fists tightened; her nails were cutting into her palm slowly. In a few moments she has to jump out there and start slaughtering the people she knew without hesitation.

She released her hands and looked ahead. A bird flew in the sky. That was the first signal.

In just a short moment, flaming arrows were flying towards the tents. A few hit the guards or men to the head or the heart, those that didn't fly to the tents.

The tents were made of fabric, and slowly the flames started getting bigger. A few seconds later another flock of arrows were sent on their way. Yuna flinched as she heard the first screams. She gasped when she saw Madara jump out into the open. Some men were already grabbing their weapons and hurrying out.

For a few moments Madara stood there quietly before with a sharp move he pulled out his katana and slashed through the air. The move was followed by a shockwave that made the earth shake, tremble and tear apart.

As if the men were all one, they jumped out from the woods. That little stunt had given Yuna's clan enough time to gather their men and weapons. Unlike the Uchiha, they also allowed and sent women into battles. Yuna jumped out and in one fluid motion, unsheathed her katana.

She just caught a glimpse of Madara. He was observing the campsite while his men were taking their positions. Yuna looked up and a small smirk appeared on her lips.

While the Kunisada had approximately seven hundred men and women, the Uchiha only had around two hundred. Her eyes shifted to Madara who only seemed amused by this. He was confident in his abilities and knew what his army was capable of.

They didn't waste any time. The Uchiha were far enough away from the mines so they wouldn't injure them. Small groups were moving around, as if they were taking their battle positions in so it wouldn't look like they were waiting.

The Kunisada were the first ones to attack, and as soon as the first man was in range, Madara signalled one of his men to set off the mines.

His eyebrow rose when nothing happened and an annoyed frown appeared on his lips.

"Bitches..." Yuna saw him mutter from afar. He nodded shortly and the Uchiha attacked.

Yuna slashed the men from her old clan like they were puppets. She tried to think of them as if they were nothing to her. She stopped for a moment with her mouth wide open when she saw Madara. Yuna had to admit that he was...magnificent.

His moves were sharp, fast and deadly as he gracefully danced through the men, his katana cutting through flesh and bones without mercy. Blood splattered in every direction, but it seemed as if he didn't even notice it. His eyes glinted with some unknown emotion, but it was almost as if he was having fun. It was all too easy for him.

Yuna wanted to stay and keep looking at this strangely beautiful sight, but the screams brought her back to earth. She jumped when she looked up to see a man's sword raised to slash at her head. With a flash his head was cleanly removed from his shoulders. Yuna stepped back when the blood started spilling everywhere. Her eyes moved up to see Madara standing there, an annoyed look in his eyes.

"What are you waiting for? You have a task to fulfil. That's what you wanted." He said impatiently before he disappeared again. Yuna came back to her senses. She almost forgot about Eiko.

She started pushing through the men, lashing at a few in her way. Yuna winced when she felt a sharp pain in her right calf. She looked down to see one of the Kunisada men. He was already dying, his clothes were filled with blood and with his last bit of strength he had cut her leg.

There was a sign of recognition in his eyes when he saw Yuna. She growled before cutting off his head. Yuna could feel it, all of her anger slowly pouring out from her well guarded walls. A sadistic smile appeared on her lips when she saw the women screaming, trying to gather all of their belongings while their tents were burning. Thick black smoke dirtied the clear blue sky.

Yuna ran forward into the campsite. She moved sharply and quickly as she ran through the women and children. For that moment she forgot about all the ties she had. They were enemies and if she let them live her mission would fail. Without hesitation she slashed and cut the people in her way.

Her eyes were looking around frantically in the chaos, trying to see or sense Eiko. Yuna was making her way to the centre of the field. She saw some of the Uchiha men flowing in. That was good.

Yuna continued her way to the middle and she entered the tent. She ducked quickly when some kunai were sent flying towards her. Yuna blocked some of them with her katana, and dodged the rest. There was blood dripping from it. She slowly straightened up and her eyebrow rose at the sight.

In a small altar, where Eiko was supposed to be she saw a different familiar figure sitting there. Yuna forgot all about the time and walked forward with a stern look. The woman looked up and smiled.

"You're not going to fight back?" She asked her mother. Her mother sighed and looked up with tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry darling...but I'm still proud o-." Yuna cut her off with a slap. Her hands were shaking of anger. Oh how she wanted to cause pain to that woman. She wanted to cut off all of her limbs, just to hear her scream.

"You bitch! YOU abandoned me in that place for your own fucking selfish reasons! I'm your god damn daughter and you just LEFT!" She screamed. Her mother didn't say anything. She just shook her head and sighed.

"Yes...I did. I know you're probably here for Eiko...as a start to redeem myself I'll tell you where she is. There is no catch to this." Yuna's eyes narrowed and she raised her katana.

"How can I trust your word?" She demanded harshly. Her mother shook her head and smiled,

"I'd think you were dumb if you listened to me without thinking," her smile disappeared and she looked up, "but please, I'm doing this for you and Eiko. So please..." Her voice was pleading and almost desperate. Yuna had almost forgotten about the terrifying sight and sounds outside. Her lips were clenched into a tight line.

"Alright, you'd better be telling the truth." She said sternly. Her mother sighed,

"Why would I lie?" She asked. "You're going to kill me one way or another...Who would've thought...your own mother." Yuna snorted.

"Would you hurry up?" She shouted. Her mother didn't even flinch at the coldness of her tone. She seemed so distant in a way.

"Go out the back of the tent. If you follow a road down the forest you'll end up near a river. Follow it until you reach a valley with a waterfall." Yuna nodded shortly and raised her katana. Her mother smiled softly.

"I love you sweetie..." She whispered. Her voice barely reached Yuna's ears. Before she could feel sorry, Yuna slashed her mother's throat. It felt as if it happened in slow motion. She could hear the sickening metallic sound as the blade ripped through the tissue. There was so much blood. Yuna never thought that so much blood could go into one human being.

For a few minutes she just stood there, her hands shaking, looking down at the dead body of her mother. The woman's hair sprawled around her body that was dyed red with blood. Her cheeks were still teary. Yuna forced her feelings down and walked past the body. The tent was already burning and the heat and smoke wasn't good for her.

She hurried out like her mother instructed. The battle was still going on, that was expected. A sickening sight was exposed to Yuna. Dead bodies and limbs were sprawled everywhere, the grass was wet and slippery from the amount of blood that was covering the ground. She almost felt like throwing up. Yuna ran through the bodies, trying not to trip or slip on the way.

She dodged some kunai and killed a few men on her way. Yuna hissed when a kunai she missed hit her left arm. It wasn't deep enough to be serious, but it did cause her some pain. She could see the black cloth get dirty with fresh blood. Yuna ignored the pain and ran forward.

It happened, the thing that she feared. Yuna's foot slipped and she fell down, right on her stomach. It was disgusting. Her eyes shot open and she started looking around frantically, looking for her katana that had flew from her hand in the process.

Yuna yelped when someone's hand tightened around her hair. A second squeak escaped her lips when she was pulled upwards to her knees. The stranger took her throat in a firm grasp and lifted her up in the air. She looked into the eyes of that man. She couldn't remember who exactly that was.

_Am I going to die? _She asked herself. The buff man had a large grin on his wide face. There was a fresh cut on his cheek and it was bleeding. His grasp tightened around her neck.

"Mistress!" She heard someone shout from away. _Oh, an Uchiha most likely... _She thought slowly. The man screamed and his grip loosened and Yuna was dropped onto the ground. Someone had thrown a handful of kunai into his body. It didn't kill him but gave Yuna enough time to scramble up from the ground and grab her katana a few feet away.

Whenever she looked away from the battle the scenery changed. The buff man was already gone along with the man that had saved her life. She moved a lot more carefully now, watching her step. It took about ten minutes for her to get out of the campsite.

It was so calm in the forest. As if some magical wall separated the battle and the forest. Yuna jogged down the hill, breathing the air in calmly. She wondered about their losses. How many men had they lost? Will they win this battle? Madara hadn't predicted that they would discover the mines. Yuna wasn't sure how much he missed the Kunisada numbers though. Was he confident that his clansmen are so powerful that they can do it with just two hundred men or was he caught off guard?

Yuna felt dirty, disgusting. She could wash off the blood but she would still feel tainted and unclean. She always felt that way after killing someone. Each kill left a mark in her soul. She didn't believe in heaven or hell, but she did believe that in her next life she'll be punished for the sins she commits in this one.

Just as her mother said she ended up near a river, and she could hear the waterfall to there. Yuna looked over the shoulder to see the smoke rising up to the sky. It was thicker than before. That was certainly going to attract attention.

She touched the running water carefully. It was cold. A small smile caressed her lips. She slowed down to a walking pace. The battle was still on, and even after that there was a lot of time. The clansmen had to clean up, find all of the survivors and patch up those who are hurt.

Yuna couldn't believe it, but she was worried for Madara. Even though she knew that he was going to be fine, the knot in her stomach wouldn't loosen up. Why? WHY? He didn't worry for her why should she worry about him?

The sound of the falling water was getting louder. It was the most soothing sound she had heard through the entire day. She closed her eyes to enjoy it. Suddenly they snapped open again.

This was so easy...too easy. Why?

Why was getting there so easy? Everything was laid out for her. Her eyes moved around warily and her senses were sharp, ready to react at anything that might wait for her.

Yet nothing came. She could freely walk to the waterfall.

It was like a small pond. You could freely walk around the water and to the waterfall. The water was dark, almost black, reflecting the sky and rocks around it. Yuna didn't want to touch it, afraid that she could ruin the scenery. That the water would turn blood red...

She walked to the side of the waterfall. There was a road that looked used there. She followed it carefully with her katana raised.

Her eyes widened when she heard weeping. It echoed back against the moist stone walls, silent weeping coming from the darkness.

Yuna's eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness. She walked to the end carefully, and the weeping stopped.

Her hands started shaking and her knees went weak from the sight before her. The katana slid from her fingers and fell on the floor, causing a lot of noise. There was a moment of silence before Eiko started tossing around, trying to pull free from the shackles that held her to the wall.

She looked frail, starved and weak. Her bloodshot eyes were wide and she seemed to be in panic. Her hands and legs were bruised from the shackles. While tossing around she just caused herself more pain.

Eiko started crying again from the pain.

"Why...why...why," she mumbled between sobs, "I know you're all against me. You've been plotting this from the beginning!" Her voice grew louder.

Yuna was kneeling on the ground, holding her head in her hands and quietly humming, trying to calm her mind down. Eiko had long lost it. Yuna wasn't even sure if Eiko recognized her. The shackles made a metallic clacking sound when Eiko moved. Yuna took a deep breath in.

It was all for Eiko. She had to do it. It would be wrong to let her live like this when she couldn't tell what was right or wrong. With trembling limbs she picked herself up from her hard cold floor and reached for the katana.

Without a word she headed to Eiko. Her screaming and tossing made it nearly impossible for Yuna to get close to the shackled to free her.

"Please Eiko...I'm trying to help you. Please stop it." She continued to plead her little sister again and again. Her blood chilling screams didn't stop. Nothing helped. Yuna was getting angry on the shackles already. It was dangerous with her shaking hands. She had already cut into her hand twice. It wasn't deep, it might've been painful, but Yuna couldn't feel any physical pain at that moment.

She didn't know how much time passed but it seemed like forever until she finally managed to free Eiko from the wall. She held her sister in a tight grip, doing her best to ignore her screams, curses and cries. Yuna bent down to her sister's ear, "I'm so sorry..." she whispered before she pierced the katana through Eiko's heart.

Yuna pulled it out and lay Eiko down carefully. She put the katana back into the scabbard, and slowly walked to the waterfall where the water hit the ground. It was the loudest place. She took in a deep breath before releasing a long scream. She screamed, screamed so hard her throat started to hurt. She repeated the process multiple times until it hurt too much. Yuna looked over her shoulder for Eiko. She walked to her sister and picked her up. The little girl was so light.

She walked out of Eiko's prison and using chakra stepped on the water's surface. The clan had abandoned Eiko as well since she wasn't useful anymore. A clan who abandoned its members like that wasn't bound to last. Yuna looked at the childish face of her sister for one last time, before she let go.

The body sunk to the bottom and that was the last time Yuna ever saw her.

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It was already nightfall when Yuna made it back. Her face was completely blank as she saw all of the bodies piled up in a mound that was set on fire. The Uchiha men, sweaty dirty and covered with blood, were still busy, taking those in need for treatment to the correct locations and checking all of the survivors.

One of the men who hurried past her noticed Yuna's small wounds. He didn't touch her though, it wasn't his right.

"Mistress, please follow me to the healing tents. Madara-sama has also been looking for you." Yuna looked up dully and nodded. She just wanted to go to some place warm and rest. Her stomach growled for the first time in two days. The man who was leading her eyed her carefully.

He wanted to ask if everything was okay, but in the end he didn't. Some men even thought that Yuna had run away.

The man stopped near a bigger tent, stepped aside the entrance and bowed before leaving. Yuna watched him walk away before she entered the tent. Those who were more seriously injured were laying down on the right. There wasn't an exact place where those who were hurt in any way could go. Another person, supposedly a medic, noticed her and took Yuna's hand.

"This way Yuna-sama," he said to her and proceeded to get her through the crowd of men, "Make way please!" The Uchiha shouted to those who wouldn't move. He pushed Yuna to the empty chair and got out some gauze and two bowls; one seemed to be filled with water and the smaller bowl looked like it had something to clean the wounds.

He took Yuna's foot, "If I may," he asked politely and rolled up the cloth around her smooth leg. He got a cloth and put it in water and wiped away the blood from the cut. Using a pipette, he put the other liquid onto her cut. It stung a lot, but Yuna's face didn't change.

"This should keep it disinfected until we get back. You'll have to go to the medics then to have it healed." He informed her. She didn't say anything the entire time. He finally put a bandage around her calf. The man repeated the steps for all of her other cuts. Yuna saw the crowd of men part. She lifted her eyes to see Madara, his face unreadable. Yuna looked him up and down. He seemed fine, dirty and covered with blood but without any serious injuries.

Yuna got up and thanked the doctor very quietly before walking to Madara. She could feel everyone's eyes on them. He motioned her to follow him out. They walked across the campsite to another tent. Yuna followed Madara inside. She stood in the middle of it and looked at Madara quietly, waiting for him to say something. He sighed and looked down at Yuna.

"This is something that I usually hate but," he paused for a moment and turned around, "You can cry since you have every reason to. I'm going to go and-."

Madara never got to finish his sentence because Yuna wrapped her arms tightly around him, her body trembling. His strong body was very warm. It was dirty but it offered the warmth and comfort she needed at that moment.

"Don't leave me alone." She whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks. Madara didn't move. His hands hung loosely on his sides.

"I won't. No one's going to leave you." He said quietly, hushing the crying girl.


	20. Chapter 20

20.

There was a strange silence around the compound. Madara had returned with victory, but the feeling inside him was hollow. It was finally over, but also he felt weird. The fragile woman sleeping near him was taking calm breaths. There were no signs indicating that she was having a nightmare. Madara shook his head and looked in front of him. The two meals in before him were almost untouched. With the tips of his fingers he picked up a cherry tomato and plopped it in his mouth.

Madara's eyes moved to the door just a moment before it was opened. A smirking Izuna walked in and slid the door close. He sat across from Madara and sighed.

"You know it is disturbingly boring to be you." He said with the usual tone of his, only this time it was hushed so he wouldn't wake the sleeping Yuna. Madara's eyebrow rose.

"If you dislike it so much I'll just find someone else to take over." Madara said with an annoyed voice. Izuna raised his hands apologetically and rolled his eyes.

"Relax," he said in a nonchalant tone, "I was just joking. I just didn't really get to do anything because the heads didn't let me do much without you." Madara just watched his brother eye Yuna curiously. It didn't take him long to start bombing Madara with questions. He loved this side of Izuna and also hated it. It was the side that Izuna didn't show to everyone, but to Madara it was starting to look like Izuna had three sides to him; the one he shows in public, the one he shows to Madara and the side that no one has seen.

"Did you confirm that she got rid of her sister?" Izuna asked casually but with a serious undertone. It was true that he didn't care much for Yuna or her feelings, but Izuna was aware that she killed her own family, the people who raised her and loved her up until now. He didn't really understand her demand to do it herself, but he just shrugged it off as a matter of pride or something like that.

Madara paused before he sighed, "You could see it in her eyes. Even if she didn't kill her, the girl would've died soon. From what I've understood her sister was already insane."

Izuna's eyebrow rose and a smirk appeared on his lips, although it was more akin to an amused smirk.

"It sounds like you're loosening your leash around her." He mused carefully. Madara's face remained the same, but inside he could feel the growing tingle of irritation. He didn't generally dislike his brother; Madara just thought that it happened to be a bad day.

"That's because," he paused, glancing down at her nonchalantly, "I don't have the time or the mood to deal with a mental woman." Was his stoic response, and Madara wasn't lying either. He hated weak people who broke down when things went hard, but even he had to admit that Yuna wasn't mentally weak. She was weaker than the old, confident and bad tempered side of her, but she still managed to keep it together, at least in front of everyone else. Madara didn't know what it was like in her head.

Izuna chuckled quietly, "Isn't she already on the verge of a breakdown?" He asked cheerfully. It wasn't nice, but Izuna couldn't see why he should even be worried about her. She wasn't his responsibility or a relative. She wasn't even a close friend.

Madara sighed and leaned back, "Most likely yes, but she will figure out her way to cope. I'll cut her some slack."

Madara's eyes snapped up to Izuna who had an amused smirk on his lips, "Suddenly you seem quite nice..." he mused with a dreamy voice.

Madara just rolled his eyes, "Well she took my freedom, but I did the same to her. I don't feel like being here to support her but the least I can do is let her be for now."

Izuna's smirk disappeared and it was replaced by a curious look in his eyes, "Freedom?" he asked, "Are you saying that you had plans to marry someone else? You know that the women you like are not good enough for the clan." Madara's fist collided with the table, cracking the smooth wooden surface and making a cup of tea fall over. The cool liquid started spreading around the table and the cup rolled at a steady pace that gradually slowed it stopped completely.

"Keep your remarks to yourself, Izuna." Madara snapped sharply.

His brother's eyes softened and his face held a calm look, "I'm sorry, that wasn't polite."

Madara's fist relaxed and he sighed, "It's the truth. Unfortunately I can't punish you for telling me the facts out loud." Izuna grinned widely,

"Well you are still the infamous heartbreaker..." His voice trailed off and he jumped on his left to dodge a bowl of rice that smashed against the wall. Madara had an amused smirk on his lips, but Izuna had enough experience to know that his guard should never be let down around his brother even while joking.

Izuna straightened up from the ground while making a decent face. He walked to the door and stopped there and looked over his shoulder, "Oh I forgot to mention, the clan is going to celebrate your victory tonight. You are expected there," he paused, "_both _of you are expected there."

He closed the door, leaving Madara in silence. The ebony haired man looked down to Yuna, somewhat surprised that she didn't wake up when he smashed the bowl. He sighed and looked at the rice on the floor. 'Izuna needs to stop pissing me off.' he thought and got up.

Madara was about to leave but hesitated when he saw Yuna. Taking pity on her he turned back and picked Yuna up carefully. She moaned something in her sleep and Madara stopped, afraid that he woke her, but after a few moments she took a deep breath and snuggled closer to his warm chest. Madara rolled his eyes and shook his head. Deep down Yuna was still just a little girl who longed for care.

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Yuna groaned when she heard someone knocking on her door. Confused, she got from the bed, trying hard to remember how she even got there. She couldn't conjure up anything brilliant so Yuna shook it off and walked to the door. The person knocked again.

"Yeah-yeah I'm coming already." She said with a sleepy voice. What time was it anyway? Yuna opened the door to see a maid there, holding a few thin boxes that looked a lot like...

"Good afternoon Yuna-sama. I was sent to help you prepare for the celebrations." She said with a friendly voice while keeping her eyes down. It was common with servants; they didn't like to look their masters in the eye as a sign of submission, not to mention because some were quite irritated if they did so. Yuna's eyebrow rose. The last thing she wanted to do was to attend a party.

"What celebration?" She asked, trying to make her voice sound a bit friendlier, but it came out groggy and irritated. The maid didn't seem affected though, "The celebration of your victory, Yuna-sama." She said casually, as if it was natural. Yuna's eyebrow rose before she walked away from the door. The maid bowed before entering and placed the boxes near the mirrors. She turned around, expecting to see Yuna waiting, but instead she saw the balcony door slammed shut with great force.

She walked to the door and hesitaded for a second, "Yuna-sama?" she asked carefully, and "Yuna-sama please we don't have much time to get you ready." She told her young mistress.

"No! No way in hell!" Yuna shouted back. The maid stepped back from the door, trying to decide if she should open it or not.

Yuna felt pleased when she heard the maid leave the room and close the door. She lay down onto the cold porch and stared into the distance. In a month or two the scenery wouldn't be brown anymore; it will be covered with pure white.

She closed her eyes and sighed. How could they even _think_ of asking her join the celebrations? That would sound nice, "Tonight we're celebrating you murdering your family, cheers!" a bittersweet smile spread on her lips. That would be nice, so nice...not.

Yuna wasn't sleepy anymore, but she still felt drained. She liked to blame it on the grey clouds that didn't let the sun rays reach her. Her thoughts were interrupted by someone opening the door. Yuna didn't bother to turn around, "I told you to get lost!" She said harshly. The door was closed and someone's steps walked towards Yuna.

Two very strong hands pulled her up to a sitting position. Yuna glared at Madara with an annoyed look, "What is it now?" she asked sharply. Madara's eyes flashed for a second, but he decided to stay calm.

"Why is it that a maid came to me, pleading for me to talk you into getting dressed?" Madara asked, like he was scolding a child. She acted more like a kid than a wife anyway. She crossed her hands on her chest protectively.

"A maid came to you because celebrating the death of my family isn't something that sounds very appealing to me." She said in a dead serious voice. Madara held back the urge to sigh. It was something, as of late, that was becoming a bad habit of his.

"We are your family now. We became your family a long time ago. Almost six months ago."

Yuna snorted, "Well you certainly haven't acted like my family."

Madara took a deep, calming breath in, "You are the outsider and you have to make them think that you are a nice, warm person. Otherwise you will continue to be an outsider until the day you die." Madara explained sternly.

Yuna rolled her eyes, "I don't even want to be here and I still have to prove something?" Madara's hand twitched. Oh how he just irked to slap her and force her to come to her senses.

"Look...Would you just accept your position and suck it up? Life is filled with things we don't want to do. Now shut up, get dressed before you lose the respect I have for you!" Those words were followed by silence. He didn't yell at her, but that just made it worse. Yuna felt that it would've been easier if Madara had screamed, and shouted those words into her face.

His eyes relaxed. Madara stood up and walked out of the room. A few moments later the same maid entered with a polite smile and gestured Yuna to come back inside.

With a cold stomach she got up and walked inside, ready to be dressed up once again to join an event she was bound to hate.

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It truly was grand what the Uchiha had managed to do with such a short period of time. A back yard that Yuna hadn't visited much was turned into a celebration ground. Everything seemed warm with the red and yellow lights.

Yuna tried, but she couldn't conjure up a full smile, though she walked around with a small one, because the cheerful faces of men, women and children gave her a warm feeling. That warm feeling disappeared though as soon as she remembered what they were celebrating.

She calmly walked through the crowds, and listened to the music that was playing. There even were some dancers and a few people had stopped to admire their soft, graceful movements. The way their limbs moved so fluidly looked as if they were casting a spell on the people gathered there.

Thos who had gathered to celebrate were all dressed differently. Some looked like they were wearing their absolute best while others had settled for a yukata with a fancy pattern. She almost screamed when someone's hand went around her waist.

"Izuna," she acknowledged him with a careful tone. Their last encounter was anything but friendly. Izuna however looked like he didn't even remember it. He guided her softly through the crowd with his hand on her lower back.

"I'm surprised and glad to see you here." Izuna said politely. His dark eyes didn't leave Yuna, he followed her movements closely. 'Hardly.' thought Yuna, but she didn't dare to say it out loud. She didn't want to get on Izuna's bad side, especially since he wasn't the person who wants to understand her position.

Instead, Yuna formed something similar to a smile, "The festival sure is enjoyable. It's the first time I've seen everyone get together like this," Yuna admitted. Izuna noticed Madara up ahead who sent Izuna an amused look.

"Well," Izuna took a step away from Yuna, "later I have something important to give to you, so after the festival ends I'll find you." He promised. Yuna's eyebrow rose. Izuna was hardly the one to make gifts like that. Still she nodded and Izuna left her, disappearing to the crowd.

Yuna made her way to Madara, who seemed to be growing impatient. When she finally reached him he frowned, "Took you long enough. Are you hungry?" he asked her.

Yuna shook her head. Madara took her hand, "Well you're going to eat now since you slept past lunch."

His voice wasn't worried at all; he made it sound like Yuna was more like a pet cat he had to keep alive, and if you don't feed a cat it'll die slowly. She wasn't in the mood to eat, but she did miss the feel of solid food. The only thing she had eaten through the past few days was just a soldier pill.

A large table was set for those who were on a higher position. The table was just close enough so that they could hear the music, but it wouldn't interrupt a conversation. Madara sat Yuna down to the very end of the table, right next to him. They had a perfect overview of the entire table.

She straightened her clothes and allowed her eyes to slide over the table. There were some empty spots here and there, but everyone was mostly there. It was the first time Yuna saw those uptight people loosen up and chatter like everyone else.

When Madara was seated as well the men turned their attention to Madara and Yuna. A man Yuna recognized as one of Madara's head advisors smiled widely, "The master and," he nodded towards Yuna politely, "the mistress of honour have arrived!" He raised his glass and everyone else mimicked his movements.

"For many great conquers in the future." He toasted.

Yuna felt her hands shake in her lap, but the table covered it up. Madara noticed it and he placed his hand on hers. Yuna looked up surprised, but Madara's face remained the same. He wasn't even looking towards her. He removed his hand and used it to serve Yuna two rice balls and a whole bunch of other things. The food just kept piling up and Yuna wasn't the only one who was giving him weird looks. The same man who made the toast laughed.

"My-my Madara-sama, be careful not to give her too much. It's bad for her health." He said with a friendly voice. The negative change in Madara's aura wasn't visible to those further away from them, but Yuna could feel it quite well. Madara hated to be told what he should do.

"Her health is an important thing for me. So eat up." He ordered Yuna. His voice was even but Yuna swore that she saw the familiar glint in his eyes that said 'threat'

Yuna sighed and shook her head before picking up her chopsticks and silently eating. She took her time, chewing every piece slowly. Later on she was actually grateful that Madara had served her so much. It saved her from listening to the conversations. Some of them were so cheerful, so happy that those who caused pain to the Uchiha men were finally wiped out, but as many before them they forgot to look at the other side of the board.

She rather focused on the food, thinking how the careful cooks had worked hard to prepare all of this in such massive quantities and how it was served here beautifully. Yuna had so much time throughout the evening that she tried to figure out what was used to make one dish or another, but that went too quickly.

Every activity she thought to pass time was finished too quickly. Much to her surprise she had eaten everything on her plate. Madara smirked when she placed her chopsticks down and he rose from the table and pulled Yuna up with him.

"Leaving so soon?" someone asked from the table. Madara nodded politely, "We will move to a place where you can get a better view of the fireworks."

Yuna's eyebrow rose, but it lowered soon. She smirked at her own stupidity. Before she could think about it any longer they were walking.

"I hardly doubt that you are planning to go and see the fireworks," Yuna snorted when their backs were turned to the table. Madara's eyebrow rose,

"Well your intelligence level has increased from a fish to a dung beetle." He said carelessly.

Yuna shook her head. Which one of them was the child again? Sometimes Yuna didn't understand how Madara wasn't kicked out because of his big mouth.

"So where are we going?" Yuna asked. Madara didn't answer her. He walked her up to a small hill and forced her to sit down.

"Stay here until Izuna comes." He ordered her.

With that short period of time Yuna had almost forgotten that she was supposed to wait for Izuna. Then again most of the things that had happened in the past few days had left Yuna's mind. She just couldn't get a grasp on things.

She saw Madara walk away, and a sense of fear washed over her. The sensation was small and not very strong, but seeing someone walk away without a word was anything but soothing to her. She felt like crying out to Madara, "Don't leave me..." she whispered quietly. It didn't reach his ears and it wasn't intended to.

She waited, and waited. The cold wind brushed past her but she could barely feel it caressing her neck softly.

"You're early." Yuna looked up and smiled to Izuna. He didn't look annoyed or anything, but since they were away from the crowd his usual cheerful act dropped.

"Sorry, does it matter much?" She asked. A meaningless question, words to fill up the silence. Izuna pulled out something that looked nothing like a gift. For that, Yuna was grateful. An envelope was placed onto her lap. Yuna picked it up with her delicate fingers.

"This is a letter your sister left behind for you. I couldn't let you have this before, but now that she's absent it doesn't matter anymore." Yuna felt a knot in her stomach and the tears forcing their way into her eyes. Izuna's feet made a soothing sound when he walked through the grass, "Enjoy the fireworks," were his last words before he disappeared.

Yuna shakily opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. She hated Izuna for keeping something like this. It belonged to her; it was addressed to her with what god damn right did he keep it to himself? For his own selfish reasons once again? As her eyes scanned the lines they became more clouded with tears until she gave in and allowed them to flow freely. She lay down onto her side, and stayed like that weeping silently while clutching the letter to her chest tightly.

Flashes of green, yellow, blue, red and many other colours started flashing in the sky.

The fireworks...they were too loud. Someone turn them off, please?


	21. Chapter 21

21.

"Did you have to go and roll on the ground in that kimono?" Yuna looked up, reacting to Madara's annoyed voice. He looked down at her with a serious face, his arms crossed over his chest. It was early in the morning already. She missed hearing the birds chirp outside. When it was summer she was annoyed at them for not letting her sleep, but now that they were gone she would've loved to hear them again. She just had to wait for a few more months.

Madara snapped his fingers in front of her face impatiently, making her snort, "Take your freakish fingers out of my face! Do you even have a reason to wake me up so early in the morning?" She snapped ignoring Madara's displeased look. She tossed the nightgown over her head and onto the bed.

The fact that Madara was often in the room while she changed did bother her, but one of the many things that Yuna had learned while staying there was that it was nearly impossible to make him bend to your will. His own beliefs and desires forbade him from doing so.

Yuna walked across the room and opened up her closet, putting on a pair of long black pants and a long sleeved shirt with a vest to keep warm.

The compound was surprisingly warmer than Yuna originally believed it would be on the colder months. Then again the winters have been not so bad for the past few years.

Madara almost rolled his eyes, "Yes, we'll talk about it at breakfast," he said and swiftly took Yuna's hand and pulled her to the door.

"I can walk on my own!" Yuna snapped and pulled her hand away from him. She didn't like to be woken up roughly like that, but when it's Madara that is all you can expect from him. She walked the familiar path that she took every morning to the dining room.

As soon as the door was closed her eyes snapped to Madara as she greedily grabbed a cup of tea and drank it with just three gulps.

"So, talk Madara. What do you want this time?" Yuna asked with a frown on her lips. Madara sat down and just sipped the green tea.

"Well there's a lord, named Tanaka. He wants the Uchiha to fight for his sake." Yuna's eyebrow rose,

"Why should I care ab-?" She was cut off by Madara, who put his hand over her mouth to silence her,

"Don't interrupt!" he snapped at Yuna before continuing,

"This lord has invited us to his castle so he could talk me into agreeing with the war. I need you to come with me, so you can steal back something that is mine, a sword that bears the Uchiha crest." Yuna nodded slowly, taking in all of the information into her head.

"Alright...do you have any idea where the sword is?" She took a piece of meat and chewed on it. A smirk appeared on Madara's lips.

"It is located in his bedroom, right beside his bed." Yuna almost choked on the piece of meat in her mouth. Suddenly, it didn't seem so delicious anymore. Her mind was starting to understand Madara's plan. If you wanted to get into a lord's bedroom, then there was only one way to do it.

"So basically, you want me to cheat on you with some ugly old geezer?" She questioned voice heavy with disgust.

Madara rolled his eyes, "Damn you're annoying. He's maybe seven years older than me, and not cheat..._seduce _him or something similar. You just have to get to his bedroom, knock him out and get out of the castle before anyone notices that you stole the sword. The carriage that took us there will be waiting for us on our way back."

She raised her finger, "One little question," Madara appeared to be listening, "What makes you think that he'll be interested in me?"

A mischievous glint was in Madara's eyes, Yuna didn't like that glint...she didn't like that look in his eyes at all.

"Well...we've had our disagreements before in the past...and even though he has lots of women; you'd be his little trophy. It would be his way of trying to mess with me, by sleeping with my dear..._precious _wife." The 'precious wife' made a gagging noise.

"You're a disgusting, shameless man." Yuna said with a revolted tone. Madara sighed with a soft smile,

"This is what marriage is all about. Making sacrifices for each other, so from now on...you're my very loose wife." Yuna had a sickened look on her face before she smacked Madara. She grabbed a rice ball to eat on the way back to her room. She rose to her feet quickly.

"I'm going to eat somewhere else." Yuna snapped before slamming the door shut.

A few moments passed in silence before Madara snorted and rolled his eyes. He got up and slid the window open and looked over the edge.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, Izuna." He said sternly. His younger brother grinned widely, looking up to Madara. He stood up and without asking for permission, he jumped in the window and sat on Yuna's spot and took her rice and her chopsticks, but first he cleansed them against his sleeve.

Madara sighed at his brother stupidity. Sometimes he doubted that it was an act.

"What do you want?" Madara asked. His tone and his eyes weren't sweet or caring, but when talking to Izuna you could tell that he treated Izuna differently. Izuna looked up with a smirk.

"You're so sweet to Yuna-chi~...Distracting her from her trauma and also making her useful for the clan which means that she will shine in a positive light." Izuna's voice was playful. Madara's brow on the other hand was twitching with annoyance.

"I'm just using her for my own goals. Who gives a crap about her condition? As long as she breathes I don't care." Madara pressed through gritted teeth; with each word he was gaining his composure once again.

Izuna's eyebrow rose lazily, reflecting his disbelief.

"You could very well get the sword yourself." He noted, "Why use her while there's a good chance that she'll fail?"

Madara grinned, "Because, it simply proves that she's powerless and I'm pulling the strings here."

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Yuna's eyebrow twitched violently as she sat next to Madara. She folded her legs in a comfortable position before grabbing one of the many books that she had taken from the library.

Madara glanced at the paperbacks with his eyebrow raised, "Are you going to read all of those?" He asked with in an uneasy voice.

His stubborn wife on the other hand was already focusing on the lines. She had put the rest of the books as far away from Madara as possible. If she had to seduce some random ass then he had to be bored out of his mind.

It was a childish action, she acknowledged that, but it was one of the small pleasures of life for her to cause inconvenience for Madara, no matter what it was.

Madara leaned back in the chair and opened up a window to allow some air to flow in. He would've loved if Yuna were an obedient, classic wife...yet on the other hand if those quirks she had were suddenly taken it would get boring. Her attitude that was shifting between serious and childish, her actions, and her pain...all of it was mild amusement for his eyes.

The fresh air cleared his mind a little. The only sounds that lingered in the small room were the sound of the wheels moving and the occasional sound of someone turning the page.

"What are you reading?" Madara asked, yes he _asked _instead of just grabbing whatever he wanted saying: "I might give it back."

Yuna's eyes flashed and a dark grin formed on her lips, "Ohohohoo~ could it be that you are bored out of your mind already?" She asked with amusement dripping from every word that passed her lips. Madara didn't even bat a lash. Without saying a word he simply took the book from Yuna's hand and threw it out of the open window.

"If I'm bored, then you're bored with me." Madara was irritated; it was clearly visible on his young features. Yuna put her legs on the bench across them and put herself in a more comfortable position. She could take another book, but knowing Madara he would just throw it out of the window again.

"You're going to sleep?" Madara questioned, trying to hold back the victorious smile that was aching to creep onto his face.

Yuna popped her right eye open, "Well you woke me up...stupid." She grunted and let her body go limp.

Madara's foot tapped impatiently on the soft carpet while he counted the seconds in his head. Madara was a top ninja, and he was also very stealthy when needed. Quietly, and slowly his hand started moving towards the pile of books that was stacked away in a corner.

His eyes read the titles and the corners of his mouth turned down. The titles were...good. Irritatingly good, but Madara refused to acknowledge something as trivial as that.

He relaxed his toned body and opened the book with a triumphant look on his face.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: There will be some M-content in the end of this chapter. Just giving you a warning ahead :):) **

22.

She scrunched up her nose in disgust. She didn't hate the dress...not at all because it looked so elegant, beautiful and refined. It was the purpose it had to serve that made her feel disgusted. Her arms were folded on her chest and she glanced at her all too willing husband with a strange expression with her eyebrow arched.

"Exactly why do I have to ruin my reputation?" She asked, her face holding doubts and regrets for agreeing with this bizarre task.

Madara who was relaxing and enjoying a cup of tea snorted.

"If I didn't need you to act I would've saved myself from the humiliation of showing them my wife to the world..." was his snarky response. Yuna was stupefied before an annoyed frown formed on her face.

"Would you stop it with your rude remarks?" She pressed through gritted teeth, her fists shaking, craving to punch something. Madara's lips curved upwards, but only for a fleeting moment. It disappeared soon and he looked over to the midnight blue dress. In his opinion Yuna would look alright in that dress. After all he picked it.

"I was just stating the truth. It's not my fault if it hurts." After that statement his gaze returned to the black and white pages. Her fingers were digging onto her skin before she released a loud groan filled with annoyance before she stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Yuna could hear Madara shouting something about not staying out for too long, but the woman didn't give it much thought.

She marched through the beautifully decorated wide halls, ignoring the raised eyebrows and glances that were sent towards her. Yuna didn't even bother listening to the receptionist who was about to ask her something and completely blocked her out.

When she got out of the hotel Yuna broke into a run. She kept running until she reached a river bank. Her pace slowed down and she walked up to the rived and sat down on the edge. It calmed her inner self to just stare at the water and listen to the sounds around her.

'Stupid Madara…stupid Uchihas…stupid mission…stupid sword…who the fuck needs it anyway? 'That man is pickier than a god damn woman! Just buy a new sword!' She shouted in her mind. If Madara were there she would've said it to his face, but that train of thought hit her just now.

Then again complaining didn't really help either. She had to figure out a way to mess with him…some way to make him nervous and just plain enraged. She wasn't intending to mess up his mission. After all she agreed to do this.

"Oh, I guess my spot is taken." Yuna's head whipped around and her eyes met a man's dark brown orbs. She got up hastily and smiled softly.

"In that case I'm sorry." Yuna said with a sweet voice. The stranger was well dressed in black. His ebony hair was messy, almost reaching his shoulders and he had bangs almost covered his right eye, but they ended just a bit before.

His features were softer than Madara's, but he was still quite handsome.

She noticed the man looking her up and down and in the back of her mind she was feeling a bit uncomfortable because she was dressed rather casually. A polite laugh escaped the man's lips.

"That's okay, I'm capable of sharing." He admitted and walked up to Yuna. He was a good few inches taller than her. Yuna looked at his eyes, a question lingering on her mind, aching to come out but she wasn't sure if he would notice the thought behind it. So she decided to replace it with something else to gain her answer during a conversation.

"Are you from around here?" She asked with a curious tone. All traces of Yuna's annoyance and previous anger were gone and they were replaced by a sweet persona.

His look traced up a mountain to a mansion at the top. Yuna tried to hold back a smile creeping on her face. The man lifted his finger and pointed to the elaborate building.

"That is where I live. My name is Tanaka, Hiroshi Tanaka pleasure to meet you my lady." He said with a cheerful smirk while he made a playful bow. Yuna giggled at the man's childish actions. Behind the little laugh her mind was racing. That's her target. What to do? Leave him? Stay with him?

It was her common sense that told her to leave, but now that she made contact with him it was tempting to stay and see what happens next.

"Aren't you the humorous one kind Tanaka, but I'm wondering," she looked up from below with a smirk playing on her lips, "what kind of a man you really are?"

Hiroshi's lips curved up to a cocky smirk.

"You're…Uchiha Madara's woman aren't you?" He questioned with an amused expression. 'SNAP! Okay...think…think…you're caught…what to do…'

Yuna formed a pout on her lips.

"Unfortunately yes…he's such a mean man. I even have to attend some meetings of his that aren't even connected to me!" Yuna was careful not to let the complaints become annoying. Hiroshi's eyebrow rose.

"Is that so?" He asked, his tone sounding rather worried. Yuna looked up and a smirk formed on her lips.

"If only I could make him…furious on that meeting…In front of a crowd he can't do anything and that's the most fun part. I'm still conjuring up a plan though…"

Hiroshi felt amused by her. She was perfect.

"How is the plan going then?" He questioned, trying to force his urges down. Yuna noticed that he had moved just a little bit closer to her. Inside of her, she took a deep breath in. 'It's for the mission' she repeated in her head. So instead of kicking him in the stomach and screaming him to mind his own business she allowed him have his way.

"Sadly, I haven't thought of anything…He's an easy man to anger, but with someone else's help though..." She tried not to say it too clearly, even though she wanted to shout 'Please try to seduce me so Madara would be annoyed!'

Yuna didn't flinch when the man's strong hands slithered around her slim waist slowly, lingering there. Hiroshi could feel them forming up the same plan without saying anything.

His face was just an inch away from Yuna's, her eyes were half closed already. He could feel her warm breath, smell her sweet aroma and feel the warmth of her soft skin under the palm of his hand.

"How about then…I'll help you with that?" He questioned and then,

He pulled away from her.

With a sly grin he nodded his head towards the mansion.

"Come." He said with an amused tone.

Success! A devilish smile formed on her face and she walked up to the man, walking at his side to his estate. Both of them were smiling politely while sparing glances at each other occasionally, and both of them were quietly forming plans in their heads.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Yuna was lying on her stomach with her chin resting on a pillow. Her position was anything but ladylike in a place like this. As soon as they got there Hiroshi had her previous clothes thrown out and they were replaced by a beautiful flowing kimono. It wasn't a traditional one, more like a dress inspired by a kimono. Golden leaves and singing birds were embroidered on the smooth fabric with care and tenderness.

The time and detail that was put into that dress was remarkable and it showed. Yuna's lips were painted blood red and her lashes were now black and much more noticeable than before, framing her childish eyes and giving them a strange aura. Her eyes moved around the bedroom and she spotted the sword on the wall. Yet she couldn't do anything yet to claim it.

One sleeve of her dress was a little slumped, revealing just a little skin. When she swung her feet she could notice Hiroshi's eyes moving to her skin for a moment, before returning to her.

A pout appeared on Yuna's lips, making Hiroshi's eyebrow rise with curiosity.

"Is there something wrong, Yuna?" The man asked with a concerned tone. Yuna held back the urge to snort. It was obviously fake but she had to admit that he was a good actor.

The woman allowed a sigh escape her lips. She hated this makeup, she hated those clothes and all she wanted was out, but a small voice in the back of her head whispered devious words to her 'Stay…flirt…you won't be able to anger Madara like that again…'

"Who's going to be at the dinner?" She asked curiously. It was going to play a huge role in her plan, because if it was just Madara there was always the chance that he will figure out that Hiroshi really knows that she's actually Madara's wife.

Hiroshi's eyebrow rose and his fingers softly caressed Yuna's cheek, making her cringe inside.

"What is it? Are you worried? It's going to be you, me and Madara." He said nonchalantly. Yuna looked to the right, tapping her finger against her pouted lips and swinging her feet.

"Well…you have to act like you don't know that I'm Uchiha Yuna by name. From now on call me Mizuki, Natsuki Mizuki will be my name for the night. This way he won't do anything rash if he's sure that you don't know me." She stated confidently, catching her little mistake just in the end, but a reasonable explanation sprung into her mind just in the nick of time.

"He wouldn't act out because imagine his harmed ego if he caused a scene like that because his wife is cheating on him in front of him with a completely unaware stranger? Madara's the kind of man who is too prideful. It will be silent agony for him…It's selfish…I know…" She giggled girlishly and brushed her hair away from her eyes and stared up to Hiroshi.

"I have to admit…you really are a horrible wife," was his reply with a sly grin. Yuna sat up a little, allowing the sleeve slip a bit more before crashing her lips with his. She felt his tongue brushing over her slower lip, asking for permission to enter. She parted her lips and tasted his sweet flavor. He closed his eyes and allowed his hands travel around her body and up her thigh. Yuna moaned when his hand brushed over a sensitive spot.

Hiroshi pulled away from the kiss just for a moment to allow a smug smirk on his lips before resuming. She hated to admit it but he knew what he was doing. The man could send jolts of pleasure through her body just by brushing over certain spots.

The woman hated that some man made him act so worthlessly, and Yuna allowed him to continue just so she could get her act together again.

That thought just…

Triggered some memories she didn't want to remember.

The easiest way to forget them again was to engorge herself into her sins and enjoy it to the fullest while it lasted.

With tears glistering in her eyes she smirked in the kiss and pushed the tears back. She wasn't going to allow them fall. Not yet. Not now. She was going to have the best of this, and she wasn't going to feel guilty at all.

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Madara was annoyed, no, scratch that. He was beyond furious. It took all of his free time trying to find his stupid wife and in the end he had to leave without her. He wanted to scream, shout, yell, punch and break something because in the end it seemed like he had to retrieve the sword himself. That stupid woman made everything troublesome.

The employees in the castle were very well aware that the Uchiha leader was joining their master for the evening to discuss business. Every person who met the Uchiha's eyes scrambled away from his path and bowed deeply. There wasn't anyone who wasn't able to tell that he was in a very foul mood in this particular evening.

He stopped when the maid in front of him stopped and knelt down behind the door.

"Tanaka-sama, Uchiha Madara-sama has arrived." She announced before sliding the door open.

Madara's scowl was annoyed at first, but he couldn't stop his hands from shaking because of rage when he saw the sight in front of him. The top of the table was Hiroshi Tanaka, looking the same as he looked a year ago and clinging onto his arm in a revealing dark blue dress was someone familiar.

Yuna's grin widened at Madara's expression and Hiroshi nodded at him with a sly look in his eyes.

Madara was just a few drops away from jumping to his wife before punching her in the face for embarrassing him like this.

"Madara-sama, what a pleasure, please meet my dearest woman, Natsuki Mizuki-san." Hiroshi said and politely gestured towards _his wife_ who conjured a slightly disappointed look on her face.

"I'm so sorry that Yuna-sama couldn't join us tonight…I was looking forward to meeting her in person since all I've heard are rumors." She said with a sigh. Madara's eyebrow twitched, he thought exactly what Yuna wanted him to think; that Hiroshi had no idea that she is the real Uchiha Kunisada Yuna.

He forced himself to look and act calm.

"Yes it is unfortunate, Tanaka-san. My wife wished to attend but she suddenly caught a virus and is sick in bed. Bringing her would've put a lot of strain on her body." He explained smoothly. Hiroshi nodded while 'Mizuki' looked worried.

"It's nothing serious I hope?" Her fingertip touched her lip carefully. She was leaning on Hiroshi with the dress sleeve almost completely off and her dress slit up the one side all the way to her thigh.

Madara shook his head. The men became serious and began talking business.

Mizuki leaned near to Hiroshi's ear and whispered something before biting his earlobe softly, making him grin because of the sensations that tingled his body by her touch.

Madara's hand was shaking, and the glass in his hand was shattered in a second, sending hot tea and shards flying everywhere. Mizuki jumped and looked at his hand. Small droplets of blood were falling from it, but Madara's expression remained the same.

"Is your hand alright, Madara-sama?" Mizuki asked. Hiroshi got up, and kissed her on the cheek softly.

"I'll go get someone to clean this up." He said before rushing out of the room, leaving the door open on purpose.

The worried expression melted away from Yuna's face and was replaced with a look Madara hadn't seen before. It was purely sadistic and…

He loved that look. It excited him inside, but all of those emotions were buried under his anger that was radiating off of him.

"What do you think you are doing?" Madara spat at Yuna, at the same time plucking out shards of glass and healing the ones that were clear.

Yuna's eyebrow rose and an irreproachable look decorated her features.

"Well it looks like I'm following the plan!" She exclaimed and rolled her eyes. Madara snorted before yanking a shard out roughly. Yuna's smirk died down and she sighed.

'Stop hurting yourself, Madara.' Was what she wanted to say to him, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of hearing those words...not yet. She wanted to see the desire in his eyes, to beg for control and see her acting obedient. To her this was like a rebelling phase that she deserved to taste.

"My ass is following the plan better than you!" He almost shouted. Yuna smirked victoriously, feeling Madara's piercing gaze on her.

"I'll get the damn sword by the end of the day as promised...Though I'm curious, are you embarrassed, Madara?" She asked with a giggle escaping her lips. Madara gripped another shard tightly, making his finger bleed. She had to pay for this. Yuna was going to be his obedient lap dog once again.

Before Madara could respond Hiroshi returned with a quivering maid who was giving her all to stay serious and professional. Madara's hand was almost completely healed already.

Tanaka's eyebrow rose: "You know medical ninjutsu?" He asked with surprise. Madara rose from his seat with an angry expression.

"Of course."

Both of the men bowed politely, Madara a bit more reluctantly than Tanaka

"Well...I mustn't keep you away from your wife any longer. Please consider the offer I proposed." He rose. Madara sneered.

"Yes, I will and I shall send you my answer as soon as possible. Now if you excuse me, I must get back to my wife."

Hiroshi took Yuna's hand and guided her out of the room, leaving the maid behind to clean. When Madara turned right, they followed the left corridor.

Both of them kept a serious face the entire five minutes that it took to get to Hiroshi's room. When the two maids that prepared Hiroshi's room left his chambers, Yuna burst out laughing.

"Oh my dear he's expression was priceless!" She said between hysterics. Hiroshi had a very pleased look on his face.

His eyes followed Yuna's bare neck down to her cleavage. Her laughter died down and she lifted her hand to her breast and pulled the cloth down just a little bit more.

"Is there anything wrong?" She asked innocently. Hiroshi walked up to Yuna and pushed her down to the bed. A yelp escaped her lips when he pinned her hands above her head before pulling the dress down her body.

Yuna closed her eyes and a soft moan escaped her lips when the man began to suck gently on her nipple while massaging the right breast with his free hand. She arched her back under him, moaning when he brushed his teeth over the sensitive skin or played with his tongue.

He pulled away with a chuckle escaping his lips.

"You're quite the sensitive one, aren't you?" He said and released Yuna's arms, using the free arm to pull up the dress.

He began working on her other nipple, not leaving it without attention. His hands trailed down her body and under the dress. With his hand and some help from Yuna he removed her underwear before he started to tease her.

When his fingers brushed over her Yuna's back arched and she moaned loudly. This was so wrong and she had to leave.

'Just knock him out...Knock him out, take the sword and leave Yuna' She told herself, but the pleasure was winning over reason.

Hiroshi's hands left her and he lifted his head to look at her half opened eyes.

Yuna looked down to him, her face filled with ecstasy and her eyes were yearning for more.

'Knock him out...say goodbye' said her mind. Yuna opened her mouth,

She had to leave now.

"More..." She whispered with a faint blush decorating her cheeks. Hiroshi's eyebrow rose and a sly grin appeared on his lips. It amused him to no end to hear her soft moans. It was like music to his ears.

"Excuse me; I didn't quite catch it..." His voice trailed off mockingly, dripping of amusement that danced in his eyes. The man enjoyed watching Yuna twitch involuntarily, graving for more pleasure with a pink tint on her cheeks.

"I want more...give me more." Her voice grew louder with every word and the last one resembled a moan rather than a word.

Hiroshi was kissing her body slowly, brushing over her sensitive spots and sending jolts of pleasure down her spine. Yuna gasped when he inserted two fingers in her. She could feel her control slipping as the pleasure took over and she leaned in closer to him.

She had sunk into her sins. There was no turning back now when she was already exposed with no control over her reactions and body.

"Oh please...please more!" She shouted, her body shaking. Yuna's head was whipping from left to right, moans escaping her lips as the pleasure got bigger and bigger.

Hiroshi did as she asked.

It seemed like too short, but after a few minutes, warm jolts of pleasure shot through her body and her back arched as her walls tightened around his fingers. A loud moan was heard all over the room.

She was shaking, with a smile on her lips. He pulled out his fingers out of her and licked them with a smirk.

"You're so easy to please...And you have a nice taste." He came up to Yuna's level and kissed her lips.

Yuna smirked in the kiss when she felt something in her inner thigh. Now was the time.

With a sharp movement she hit the pressure point on his neck and Hiroshi collapsed on her, with a look of surprise in his eyes. Yuna pushed him off of her and straightened her dress with a smirk.

She stood up and grabbed the sword and leaned down to his ear, "I told you I was selfish," she whispered with a giggle before walking to the window. She looked around to make sure that no one saw her before jumping out of the window into the night.

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Just as planned, the same carriage that brought them was waiting in the forest. She skipped down the road, cursing her bare feet.

Yuna opened the door and stepped in and tossed Madara the sword. He caught it without ease and placed it under the seat. As soon as she sat down the carriage started to move forward.

"Did you get it quickly without any problems? Did anyone notice you? It took you quite a lot of time." He noted. Yuna noticed that his tone was rather...plain. The anger that had been there almost forty minutes ago was gone. Yuna wiped the remaining lipstick into her sleeve and nodded.

"No problems at all. I think that I got away undetected. I guess he just stalled a lot." She said with a calm expression. Madara snorted and rolled his eyes. He seemed to think about something and Yuna relaxed her mind and looked to the other direction. Just when she let her guard down Madara grabbed her and pulled her on his lap with her back pressed up against his chest.

She yelped when he forced her legs open with his and pulled down her shirt. Yuna felt a blush creep on her cheeks.

He knew?

Madara touched her nipple, making her gasp. Inside a bedroom was one thing, but in a place where there was a stranger just behind a thin wall...that was frightening.

A grin wriggled on his face and moved his other hand under the skirt.

"No underwear..." He murmured in her ear.

Yuna clamped her mouth shut when he touched her entrance gently, teasingly. His touch was completely different from Hiroshi's but maybe even better. Madara heard a quiet moan and he chuckled.

"And you're still all wet and warm down here...I wonder what took you so long?" He whispered seductively in her ear and began touching her; always pleasuring her just for a moment before pulling away and making her yearn for more.

Yuna bit her lip, she couldn't lose it again.

"What made you...ask for more?" He questioned with a soft voice. Yuna shivered under his touch. She felt so embarrassed, so exposed to the world.

Madara enjoyed watching her face while she tried to hold her moans. His hand was covered with her juices. He kissed the sensitive skin on her neck and thrust his fingers inside of her.

Yuna squeezed her eyes shut and yelped.

"I wonder whose touch you like more..." He asked. With a swift movement Yuna was lying on her back on the chair. She tried to sit up before she suddenly lay back again when something different touched her entrance.

Madara held her hands with his own so she wouldn't be able to mute the noises coming from her mouth. If she had no problem screaming in the lord's room then why should she feel ashamed there? She gasped, leaning into him for more as his tongue touched, licked and sucked her.

Madara wasn't usually the one to give something for free. He enjoyed hearing woman moan his name, touch his hands like dogs and begging for more, but as long as he got some pleasure out of it as well. Yet this time was different. His woman had been touched by some other man. Only _he _was allowed to listen to her moans and feel her body shake in pleasure.

He could sense her coming to an end so he inserted his fingers in her while teasing her with his tongue. Oh how he enjoyed seeing that squirming expression. A moan, a louder one accidentally escaped her as she jolted when the waves of pleasure shot through her entire body and her juices flowed on Madara's hand. Madara pulled away and leaned back and smirked at Yuna who was completely red, twitching and gasping in pleasure.

Shakily Yuna pushed herself up, trying to cover herself up to save her dignity that was long lost by now. There was no real point since already two men had seen her practically naked in one single evening. Yuna pulled her knees up her chest and sighed.

"So...did you make up your mind?" Madara asked with a large grin that was his payback for defying him. Because he knew what went through Yuna's mind.

Disgusting.

That was the word running through her mind. That's how she felt about herself.

Not because she was with two men,

She felt disgusting because she enjoyed it to the bone.


	23. Chapter 23

**I AM SO SORRY FOR UPDATING THIS LATE! T.T Please forgive me and I hope that you like this chapter :D AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! They just make me want to get up and write you another chapter! **

23.

Yuna awoke with her heart thumping hard and her forehead covered with cold sweat. She took a deep breath in and looked to her right where Madara was sleeping soundly, his arm draped over her waist. She sighed and leaned back on the pillows, not wanting to wake him up. It was probably the first time she had seen him sleep like a baby. He was always half awake, partly listening for anything out of the ordinary.

Yuna sighed and put her hands behind her head.

Then again this was the first time she slept with him.

An unwanted blush crept on her cheeks and Yuna was glad that Madara was sleeping. He needed some rest one way or another.

Her eyes lingered on his sharp features and she sighed. He looked harmless like that, so vulnerable to the outside world. There was a kunai on the nightstand. Yuna could cut his neck and get away fast enough for anyone to notice. It's just a flick with her wrist. She could go to her dear friend, stay with her or start a new life. After all there was nothing holding her back.

The scenario played itself over and over again and it was becoming more and more disgusting. Yuna's lips parted and moved but no sound escaped her lips. She stopped and an unwanted smile appeared on her face. From the side she must've looked like a fish.

What was that feeling inside of her? Weeks ago she would've escaped without hesitation. No, killing Madara was something she wouldn't have done. Not even when she truly hated him, because just the idea of the entire Uchiha clan at her tails, Izuna at front was terrifying.

Now...what happened with those weeks? She didn't want to leave. Where would she go? Madara is the last living person who is important to her. Yuna felt the shadow of depression cover her. How did it end up like this that she has only one friend outside her clan, and even she ran away.

Carefully, so she wouldn't wake him, Yuna lifted his hand away from her. She slipped away on the floor quietly and walked to the wardrobe. Her bathrobe was hanging there.

She draped it around her so she wouldn't catch a cold and started to open the balcony doors when a warm hand stopped her.

"What are you doing?" Yuna leaned back a little to make Madara a bit more comfortable. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. Yuna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why aren't you sleeping? You need it, don't you?" She whispered, even though their room was separated from the rest of the compound. Madara's face was stern, he wanted to say the words that sprang to mind but it was difficult to tell Yuna something like that now. He lifted his head and pecked her on the cheek one last time.

"Hm, I suppose. I'll see you in the morning. The heads want to talk to us about something." He released her from his grip and Yuna found herself missing that heat that left along with Madara. She wrapped her arms around her and bit her lower lip. She could tell that something was bugging him. Or maybe he just hit his head, because Madara was never that nice, maybe with Izuna but not with her.

She brushed it off like dust and left the room. Yuna knew where the kitchen was and she went to get some tea before going to sleep again. She felt relieved when the compound was empty. She didn't have to make a happy or calm face to hide that nagging feeling in her stomach. There was no one around to stop her from walking around with a face of a troubled wife.

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In the end Yuna didn't get any sleep. So she stayed up the entire night, making tea for herself.

She lost count of how many pots she had drank after the third round. It didn't even occur to her to look at the time so she hadn't left by the time the first maids and cooks started showing up to prepare breakfast for themselves and for their masters. They did their best not to pay much attention to her, even though over the noise of cooking and working Yuna heard the whispers around her. This was going to raise more questions and rumours.

It wasn't before seven in the morning when one of the maids approached Yuna, notifying her that breakfast was served and she should leave. Of course the maid was delicate enough not to openly tell her to get lost, but the point was still the same.

Yuna nodded and stood up, finally remembering that she was only wearing her bathrobe. A blush appeared on her lips and she walked out of the kitchen with her eyes staring straight ahead, as gracefully as she could in her situation.

As soon as the door was closed behind her she broke into a run, using her minor chakra sensing abilities so she would know if there was another Uchiha near.

Luckily the corridors were empty this early, except for a few workers.

In the back of her mind she cursed herself for being so careless, and also cursing the person who designed the compound.

For her luck she managed to make it through without many seeing her. What Yuna didn't know was that her luck was about to run out.

When she arrived in her room Yuna noticed that it was empty. Perfect.

She tossed the robe onto the bed and hastily opened her closet, quickly putting on some clean underwear and a plain black yukata. Yuna tied it quickly on her way out.

She usually didn't mind being late, but she was afraid that Madara will mind so she hurried as quickly and smoothly as possible without making it seem like she was anxious. A feeling inside of her whispered that she was failing miserably in putting on that calm act.

Yuna gave up and started a small jog to get there a minute earlier.

"I'm here!" She practically shouted when she slammed, accidentally, the door open.

Inside the small room she found Madara as expected and one of the clan's head advisors. The old woman's eyes held a disapproving look. Yuna bit her lower lip before she made a small bow.

"My apologies, it was rude of me." Her tone was soft, completely different from her usual tone. The flushed and a little bit annoyed expression was gone and it was replaced by a blank look decorated by a faint smile to balance it out and make it seem pleasant to another's eyes.

When Yuna made her way to Madara she could feel the elder's eyes follow her with that superior look in them. She sat down next to Madara and poured herself a cup of tea to keep busy.

The silence was suffocating her.

Yuna lifted the cup to her lips. She didn't flinch visibly when the tea burned her tongue. It was only to keep her busy.

The older woman sighed and looked at Madara, "You haven't told her anything yet, have you?"

The tone in her voice sounded slightly like a mother scolding her son, but that was almost nonexistent. No one in the entire clan had the guts to talk to Madara like a child, except for Izuna. Then again he was an exception for most of the unspoken rules that surrounded Madara like a cloud on rain. You're only going to get wet when you get close enough.

Madara desired to look away, or at least leave, but in front of someone like her he had to be who he was in public: The arrogant leader that shared only one bond.

Yuna placed the cup down with a stern look. So the nagging feeling was correct.

If it was something that Madara couldn't say into her face then...

It couldn't be anything good.

"What haven't you told me?" She asked the question aimed to the woman instead of Madara. The woman didn't say anything, just when she was about to Madara sighed. Yuna picked up the cup to take another sip.

"They want to divorce us." The words fell from his lips so easily just as easily the cups slipped from Yuna's slender fingers that suddenly refused to work properly.

She was ready for almost anything, a mission or a task, anything but this! She didn't prepare for this. It hadn't crossed her mind, not once even though it was a reasonable and a logical action from a strategic position.

Madara avoided looking in her eyes. He knew that the small glimpse of life that had appeared there was dead once again now that the last thing that she had a reason to live for was being taken away from her just like everything else.

Her hands were shaking under the table. The tea that was spilled onto the wooden surface started dripping into her lap.

The elder rose without a word and left with a bow. Yuna felt tears threatening to fall. She wouldn't cry, at least not in front of Madara. He hated crying more than anything.

A small, shaking laugh escaped her lips causing Madara's eyebrow to rise.

"This is already funny...everything I hold dear has been taken by this...stupid clan. I hate them. I want to kill them all. Absolutely everything, and now they want to take you as well...What is wrong with you people? Is that how you treat humans? Take what's dear to them and then cast them away like pieces of trash?" Her lips were quivering with anger.

Carefully, Madara backed away from her, but only a few inches.

He waited patiently, in case she wanted to say anything else.

With a sharp move Yuna had thrown off everything on the table on the left before slamming the table to the right with her other hand. It slammed against the wood hard, making it crack dangerously. Madara flinched inwardly at the sound of porcelain breaking.

The once beautiful cups and bowls were now a disgusting pile of junk, soaked in rice, soup and fish. The liquids started to run, staining the tatami mats that covered the floor.

"Why?" She asked, not specifying the question. Madara remained cautious about her; even though he knew that there was no reason to. He was the one that she held dear and she wouldn't raise her hand against him. Not that she _could_ actually lay a finger on him.

"Because now that your clan is gone they don't see any reason to keep this marriage valid. Most likely after we divorce you will be banished from here, imprisoned or killed because of the information you know." Yuna looked up with a calm look. The anger and hate in her eyes hadn't faded but she didn't look like she was going to destroy anything.

"I don't want to die, Madara." She whispered, "If they take you, then even if I don't see much in my life, I still value it to some extent."

Madara smirked and pushed his hair away from his eyes.

"I thought so. Well first I'll try to manipulate them so they things my way. If not, then I have a plan, though I prefer not to use it in case it were to go horribly wrong."

Yuna looked up to him with surprise, "Why are you doing this? Working hard just to keep me alive?"

Madara couldn't help but to chuckle amusedly. Was this girl thinking that he cared about her? Perhaps to some extent, he did not that she would ever find out of course.

"Because if they keep the marriage I can free us from it under more desirable conditions." Yuna tried to shove out the disappointment. It was Madara; she couldn't expect him to care about her.

He was planning on letting this twisted relationship last for a while, but now that the clan had begun moving he couldn't sit still anymore.

Mentally he was cursing himself that he didn't foresee this. This woman was bad for him. Before her, he didn't screw up and he could foresee things by pure logic and manipulation. It was certain that he had to free himself from this marriage before he started to hate himself.

"What if I'm pregnant? What if," Yuna rose from her position, her back facing Madara, "what if your child, the future heir, is growing inside of me?"


	24. Chapter 24

24.

"No, it's never going to work. If you're pregnant then that could mean that they will kill you. The best scenario we can hope for is that they will either keep the marriage or I can convince them that you are useful." Madara's voice was nonchalant, while in his head he was forming a plan. She would be useful to the clan. Her mind was fragile, she was easy to manipulate. Yuna would become his own personal puppet useful practice for the future.

She looked up from her fiddling fingers.

"What would that mean to me? Being useful for...the clan...no...I won't do it for the clan's sake. I'm ready to do it for you, but only you."

_To make you respect me._

Madara held back the urge to grimace. Women talk too much. That's the entire reason why he can't stand to have one around for too long.

"Well...I'll get a new wife. You won't be able to see me anymore. Also you'll be sent out on missions and most likely monitored strictly. Can you put up with that?" He asked. A small smile appeared on her lips as she was slowly, but steadily gathering herself once again.

"Finally I can actually do something besides sitting around. The wife thing didn't suit me anyway." Her body was filled with fresh energy, irking to do something that would be good for her. On the other side she was working for the people that she despised, but her goal was to have Madara at least respect her.

It was a challenge. She needed a goal in her life. He was the clan leader, and also was good with words. They will listen to him and if he says the right words then surely Madara can convince the heads to agree with this.

He rose from the ground and walked across the room, avoiding the dishes that Yuna had destroyed and left without a word.

Yuna looked at the mess with a frown. Her temper coming back along with her freedom. She sighed and straightened up from her sluggish position. It wasn't going to gain her any friends.

Friends aren't the right word...more like people who can tolerate her in a reasonable level.

She got up from the ground and walked out of the room and started strolling through the halls.

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Yuna was sitting on the edge of a pond, trying to call a stray black cat closer to herthat was standing a few feet away from her, staring at her with its mysterious blue eyes.

She smiled to the animal softly, holding out her hand.

"The cat is never going to come."

Yuna's head whipped around and she saw Izuna leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his strong chest.

Her eyebrow rose and she conjured a smile, causing surprise to splash over Izuna's face but it was gone quickly.

"It's a stray cat. She's always around here, but no one's been able to touch her so far." Yuna lowered her hand and glanced at the cat.

"Does she have a name?" Yuna asked. Her eyes shifted from the cat to Izuna's face. It was unreadable as always, hiding his true emotions deep inside the black waters of his mind.

He shook his head lightly, standing there motionless. Yuna smiled and looked at the cat's blue eyes.

"Alright...how about calling you Aoi then?" She asked the cat with a grin, as if she expected it to answer. Izuna shook his head lightly at her childishness. The cat's eyes suddenly shifted from Yuna to somewhere in the bushes and it ran off.

Izuna straightened up and coughed.

"Now that you're finished would you come with me? They need you to sign the papers for you divorce, after that you are to move out of Madara's room." He spoke the words smoothly, his eyes held a questioning look when Yuna started laughing. She got up with an amused grin on her lips.

"What's so funny?" He asked as they started walking. Yuna straightened her yukata while they walked. She straightened the soft fabric with her palms and flipped her bangs away from her face.

"I'm so young and can already say that I have an ex-husband. It makes me feel like some old lady." Izuna faked a surprised face.

"So you really aren't forty five?" He gasped, openly mocking her. Yuna felt her eyebrow twitch annoyed before she forced a smile on her face.

"No, I'm only forty four." She responded with a sickly sweet tone.

Yuna's eyes moved to the sky. It was covered with thick clouds like always, but those were evenly grey. A chilly breeze brushed by them occasionally, moving the single brown leaves that had been thrown in their way by the wind.

The winter and autumn were almost exactly the same every year. Yuna rarely saw snow since it never got cold enough for it. Even during the cold autumn days there was still the occasional sunshine and warmth.

On the outside, Yuna seemed relaxed but inside she was restless. She couldn't make up her mind if it was her freedom contract or her death sentence that she was going to sign in a few minutes. Perhaps it was a freedom contract where a death sentence was written somewhere in the corner with small letters so no one notices it?

She forced her smile down as Izuna stopped in front of a door and signalled her to enter.

Yuna didn't hesitate and she slid the door open and entered. The entire council was probably there. On the right, in the middle was an empty spot that Izuna took.

Madara was already there, his face displaying calmness. Yuna felt all eyes on her. She made her way next to Madara and sat down. The older woman that she saw in the morning looked, serious as always but small traces of joy were in her eyes. Yuna held back a grin. So she was part of the anti-Yuna movement.

"Now that we have all gathered here, we may discuss Uchiha Madara's and Uchiha Yuna's future." She paused, as if waiting for anyone to pipe in. No one did so.

"Madara-sama will be marrying another woman soon, most likely from the Senju clan. Are there any objections?" She looked around the room, no one said a word. Yuna held back a snort. As if anyone would dare to say anything. This was already all talked straight; the entire event was simply to make it official.

"Yuna-sama will be lowered to a regular ninja. She will remain with the Uchiha, in return for our mercy she will serve the clan along with a team like everyone else. She will not leave the compound on her own. She will not leave the compound without permission. She will not talk about the Uchiha's secrets. She may create new relationships and a family if she desires." Yuna's eyebrow rose at the last statement.

If it were up to her she would just leave this place without a word, but the Uchiha wouldn't allow her. She could allow a seal placed on her to prevent her from leaking the clan's secrets and then leave, but the clan wouldn't allow that as well since they won't profit from that. It was an impossible situation after all.

"Now if there aren't any objections, I would like both of you sign this for the completion of your divorce." She pushed a paper forward along with a brush and some ink.

Wordlessly Madara rose and walked to the table. He picked up the brush and without second thoughts signed it. He placed the brush down and retreated to his spot.

Yuna realized it was her turn now. Mimicking Madara's movements she pushed herself up and made her way to the table.

She took the brush and dipped it into the ink. Yuna brought it to the paper and, she just stopped. Love or not this was still difficult for her. She didn't think much of marriage to begin with; a piece of paper that's supposed to symbolise love between two people. She's just signing another pointless piece of paper that symbolises the end of that love.

It shouldn't be so difficult right?

There was no love between them.

_Yes, there is no love...we're nothing to each other._

A droplet of ink had fallen on the paper. Yuna frowned but it was gone soon. She could feel how awkward it might've seen to the other people in the room. They couldn't understand the stall in her decision, so she just scribbled her sign quickly and almost threw the brush away from her.

It was done. Her marriage was over. That's what she desired all along, right?

Why was the victory so hollow then?

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Yuna followed a maid to a part of the house that she hadn't visited much before. Note that she hadn't visited it much, but she had still memorized most of it. That's what you get for having too much free time.

It was strangely nice to be surrounded with people who were mostly blank, hiding their emotions like they were taught.

Some on the other hand openly stared with curiosity. Why was the mistress in this part of the compound along with her belongings?

There were no women there.

The female ninja in the Uchiha were usually trained to be medics, but there weren't many since there was a belief in the Uchiha that women are meant to produce offspring and be supportive.

It was strange to see ninja again. They passed training fields where some were sparring, learning jutsus or working on their aim. Others were casually hanging out with their friends or teammates or taking care of their weaponry.

The maid led her to the heart of the living quarters. She opened the door to a room and bowed before she left.

Yuna followed her with her eyes for a while before she turned to the room. She entered and slid the door close.

There was a large window, luckily or not, that was facing an empty courtyard that was used as a training field to spar.

She noted that there were two futons on the ground. The room was split in half, and the right side seemed to be unoccupied.

The room looked like it was mirrored; both of them had a futon laid out, a small empty desk with a drawer and a medium sized closet.

Yuna noted that the desk of her roommate's was covered with scrolls and writings. She couldn't tell which ones were stories and which ones were summoning scrolls. She shrugged it off nonchalantly and started unpacking, placing her clothes into the closet and rest of her belongings on the table.

She just had to wait now to meet her team leader. Yuna had no idea what to expect from her team. Judging by the time some of the warriors were having breakfast, or at least finishing it.

Yuna lay down on the futon. She stretched her hands over her head and closed her eyes. She felt like a prisoner with limited freedom. Escaping the Uchiha was going to be a hassle. Even if she somehow managed to escape the Uchiha, they would most likely try to hunt her down anyway.

At some point she had fallen asleep, just to be violently shaken awake again in a few minutes.

An Uchiha was looking down to her calmly, a man...probably older than her. Yuna pushed herself up from the bed and straightened up.

The man examined her for a moment before a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Get dressed, I'll wait outside." He said. Yuna was surprised that his voice was so low, but she didn't have much time to wonder about it. The man excited and Yuna started untying the obi around her waist. She left everything on her bed for now and grabbed a long sleeved black shirt and some knee length pants.

As promised he was waiting for her behind the door. Her team leader started walking without saying anything.

"Where are we going?" She asked, hoping to get a response from him.

She always found it strange that almost every Uchiha man was handsome, some more, some less but she hadn't met an ugly one.

Her team leader had surprisingly big eyes, like a young child. His black hair was cut short neatly nevertheless it looked a little messy.

"To a training field, you will fight me there." His words were amused, almost crossing the line from excited to bloodthirsty...and that was scaring her.

She opened her mouth, just to clamp it shut a moment later before she smiled, "Any rules, besides not killing the other?"

Her team leader glanced back with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't that the winning condition?" He questioned. Yuna couldn't help but to giggle.

_Ninja__..._

They found a training field that was separated. Actually all of the fields had some sense of privacy, except for the ones that were meant to train with a larger group.

Yuna's bare feet didn't make any sound as they touched the cold grass. Luckily it wasn't wet either which also meant it wasn't going to be all that slippery.

The woman took a short moment to study what was around her. Some woods were around them but only about three that were far apart. Even so their strong old bodies were covered with cracks and scratches from kunai, shoes and jutsus.

Her gaze shifted to the man in front of him. He was toned, but she couldn't tell his style just from looking at him shortly like that. His eyes opened, revealing his blood red Sharingan. Yuna grunted before taking a step back.

This was going to place her in a serious disadvantage. If he was able to see her movements ahead then that means it was going to be next to impossible to get one up on him.

"What's your name?" She asked suddenly, it was strange fighting your captain without knowing his name. The man grinned and crouched down to a defensive position. He was holding a kunai in his hand, holding its blade towards Yuna's small frame.

"You'll have to earn knowledge like that, Yuna-san."

She grunted as a response.

That attitude was amusing and also agitating at the same time.

He leaped forward without warning, catching Yuna off guard.

She barely managed to avoid the kunai that was aimed to her face. A few strands of hair fell. Yuna quickly leaped away and snorted.

"You don't scar a woman's face!" She shouted before focusing all of her attention into fighting that man.

His movements were fast, he didn't give Yuna time to recover before he sends another series of kicks towards her.

She cursed under her breath. Uchihas were fast, almost too fast for eyes to follow.

Yuna gasped when he managed to land a punch to her stomach. She jumped away quickly, gasping for breath.

She wasn't going to win using taijutsu, and genjutsu against an Uchiha was basically signing your own death sentence so the only option left was ninjutsu.

As quick as she could Yuna formed the seals required. She knew that the Uchiha could probably read them and could tell that she was using a water jutsu against him.

From the palm of her hand, a long, thin line of water appeared. It was thicker than a wire, but at a certain speed it was just as deadly.

She jumped when the captain charged, aiming for her right hand. She jumped up and slashed down, using the chord as a whip.

Even before it hit him, she could tell from the leader's calm look that it was a replacement. When the chord touched him a log appeared instead.

Yuna realized that she was defenceless like this in midair.

She looked behind her just to see the captain leap up, a kunai in his hand. In a few seconds this was going to pierce trough her skin. In a short moment she changed her plan. In this position she wouldn't be able to use her water chord so she released the jutsu and quickly summoned a ball of water around her.

Usually she used it to trap someone inside, but this time she used it as a defence. The water slowed the captain down and Yuna was able to avoid him.

They were both stuck in the water as the forces of gravity pulled them down to the ground. Using the man as support she kicked him down. That also helped her leap out before the ball smashed onto the ground.

As expected he didn't lose his balance over something that small, but Yuna had kicked him pretty hard to the chest. He was clutching it while coughing. The smirk didn't leave his lips.

He was standing in the middle of the field, drenched just like Yuna.

She shivered when a gush of wind brushed her damp clothes.

With speed too fast for her eyes to follow, the captain formed seals.

_SHIT! _

She cursed in her mind when fireballs were sent towards her.

What made them hard to dodge was the fact that they were tiny, but still deadly if they touched you.

She jumped to the side just on the nick of time, escaping with a crispy edge on her pants.

Yuna quickly rubbed it to make sure that it wouldn't burn while she wasn't looking.

To counter the fire she formed another batch of seals, sending a large wave of water to the captain while he sent a large fireball to her, the Uchiha trademark jutsu.

The two collided, causing a large cloud of smoke.

A large amount of senbon suddenly flew through the cloud. Yuna leaped up, allowing the cloud of senbon pass from under her, and she barely managed to catch one with her fingers.

She knew that the Uchiha was probably aware that she leaped and he knew that she didn't have any weapons with her.

"Too predictable." She mumbled when another batch of needles was sent to her, but that was what she was expecting. Using the needle that she had snatched she deflected the ones she wouldn't be able to avoid directly.

A few still scratched her, but just lightly.

Yuna landed and the smoke started to clear. With a sharp flick of her wrist she sent the senbon back to its owner.

He just stepped to the side. Yuna's eyebrow rose at his grin. It looked almost like...

"I win." He whispered in her ear. Yuna's hands lowered when she felt the tip of his kunai pressed against her neck.

She felt drained from chakra. She didn't posses a large amount of chakra and those elemental jutsus took a lot from her, especially the wave she used to prevent being burnt to death.

"You win." She acknowledged. He removed the kunai and she turned around to look at him. His childish eyes were back to normal.

"What's your diagnosis then?" Yuna asked with a slight pout. She disliked losing, then again most people did.

The man smirked, something that he did often and said: "This time...I went really easy on you. There's a lot to work with, but you're not entirely useless I guess."

Yuna sighed. Of course he went easy on her. If he was a team leader then that meant that he was way above her level.

The kunai he had, he placed it in her palm and walked away.

It took Yuna a few moments to react.

"HEY, what am I supposed to do with this!" She shouted after him.

The captain waved his hand nonchalantly, "Something to remember me by!" He said with a straight face, most likely concealing his laugh.

Yuna gripped it before groaning.

"As if!" She shouted to herself, not sure if the captain heard.

Sitting near a tree Yuna spotted Aoi, who was looking her with its blue orbs.

"Are you here to laugh at me too?" She asked, forcing her voice calm. It's not like that cat did something.

The cat meowed before it turned away and disappeared to another direction.

She glared the kunai for the last time before throwing it to one of the trees, sending it deep into the trunk so it stuck there. It was then that she came to a very aggravating realization.

What was the captain's name again?

**I'm not sure how many of you probably want to shoo****t me right now for doing this X.X =D**

**The next chapter won't be so eventful, but please bear with me .**

**And now, I hope that everyone can see the kanji that are(hopefully) correct. Can you guess what they mean?**

国定優心


	25. Chapter 25

25.

Yuna couldn't spot her team leader after the fight. She didn't know his name, and she didn't know the people there so she had no idea who to ask. Not that she would actually do it. The men there seemed intimidating to her, simply because she wasn't one of them. They didn't trust her. A twitch of amusement went through her.

If she were an Uchiha woman, they probably would act similar.

"A woman's place isn't on the battle field," they would say and laugh like men do when they feel superior.

Even Madara acted like that, yet still he agreed to satisfy Yuna's wish for his own selfish needs.

Yuna didn't mind though, she was going to rise higher than that and prove them wrong. Her mind was set on making Madara acknowledge her strength, and then...

She would betray him.

It was a dysfunctional relationship where both sides stabbed the other in the back.

Yuna wanted to meet her teammates, if she even had any. Even Madara didn't trust her enough to send her on a solo mission...but he most likely already knew that Yuna needed them to trust her. He was sure that she would come back, and he could use that.

Now that Yuna wasn't stuck in her arranged marriage anymore, she had less freedom to act but more freedom to think. Yuna didn't know if all marriages worked that way, but when married to Madara even thinking something he didn't like was out of the question.

For the past few hours Yuna had walked around aimlessly, spending her time watching others spar or just think.

Right now she was sitting on a railing, leaning against a strong pillar. Two men were sparring, one of them had short spiky hair and the other one had a small ponytail tied on the back of his head. Both of them were barefoot, only using their hands and legs in the spar; no weapons and no jutsus.

It seemed like the two were friends, close friends. Watching them playfully fight was almost like watching a less mature version of Madara and Izuna. While Madara and Izuna's fighting style was almost beastlike, the two boys were more...appropriate for minors.

Yuna jumped when two small pouches were thrown on her lap. She looked up to see her team leader who was looking down with a large grin.

"It seems that dear Madara won't allow you to relax," he crossed his arms across his toned chest in a relaxed manner, "We have a mission."

Suddenly the two boys stopped sparring and the field went completely silent as they stared back to their team leader. Yuna's eyebrow rose; were those her other teammates?

She giggled, "I really do have the ability to find the right people."

The boy with shorter hair ran up to the railing. If their team leader hadn't caught the boy's head in his palm then the kid would've smacked his head against his captain.

"A mission? Are you serious Haru-chan!" He nearly screamed with a large smile on his face. 'Haru-chan' waved his hand dismissively, forcing the childish boy to step out of his personal bubble. Yuna grinned and swallowed the childish urge to throw up her fist and shout 'WIN'

"So your name is something with Haru?" Yuna asked and checked the pouches. She was quietly thankful that 'Haru-chan' had gone through the trouble to bring her some kunai, and senbon. The short haired boy tilted his head and stared at Yuna with his chocolate eyes.

"You're a girl..." He muttered slowly, as if that was something unheard of. His long haired brother had walked over there as well, but all of the fun and laughter was drained from his face when he reached Yuna and the others.

She didn't lean back, even though she wanted to. Haru, for his joy, managed to dodge the question that Yuna aimed towards him. A light of realisation flew past the boy's eyes.

"Oh I know you! You're the Kunisada girl, right?" He shouted with joy. Yuna was beginning to doubt that the cheerful boy was really over twelve years old. She didn't think it was bad though. When she was about to respond the kid interrupted again.

"I'm Seiji, the sulky one over there is my younger brother Shin-chan, but you better call him Shinjiro and that sulky guy there is Harue." He said, nodding towards the long haired brother and the captain.

That time Yuna was surprised.

"Younger? How old are you two?" She asked them, but the question was more aimed towards Seiji. His brother wasn't even looking at Yuna.

"I'm sixteen and Shin-chan is fifteen." Yuna rubbed the back of her neck and giggled.

"Now I really feel like an old lady..." She mumbled. Seiji blinked a couple of times before he burst out laughing.

"Oh don't worry Yu-chi," Yuna's eyebrow twitched at the nickname, then again it seemed like Seiji gave everyone nicknames, "Haru-chan is _way _older. He's around twenty six or something." The older brother was smacked across the head by an already very annoyed Harue.

"Be serious for once! We have a mission. One of our sponsors hasn't been paying; Madara-sama requests us to go and retrieve the payment for the last three months and give him a warning. Our mission is to find the money and let our sponsor know what happens when you miss your deadlines. Any questions?"

Harue spoke calmly with a blank face. Yuna noticed that even in a serious discussion like that Seiji had a childish look on his face, almost a pout.

"I have one," Yuna said, raising her hand like she did in school, "Are we going to split up into teams?"

That question earned her a cold glare from Shinjiro. She tried to brush it off, but it caused a bunch of new questions appear.

Harue nodded briefly. He wasn't the one to stuff his nose into others' affairs. So what was happening between his teammates didn't interest him unless it was directly stopping them to function well.

"This is going to be a three day mission. It'll take one day to get there, then we have one day to find the money and our sponsor and one day to come back. Let's meet up at the front gate in fifteen minutes." Seiji bowed deeply before storming off to pack while his younger, stern brother just sighed before following.

Since Yuna and Harue were sharing a room, they walked together. He grinned at Yuna, "Can you keep a secret?" He asked with a smile that said 'I will make sure you regret it if you talk'

Indecisively she nodded, even though it seemed that Harue was just playing around.

"Madara-sama asked me to tell you, that you will be the one to report the mission to him. Most likely wants to talk to you in private. He also asked me not to tell the others." Yuna had a mental party in her head. Now she had something to look forward to.

She sighed and a taunting smirk formed on her lips, "I guess Madara really doesn't know how to live without me."

Her voice trailed off and Harue sighed.

"It's none of my business but you could've stayed on your position. There are rumours going around that you chose to join the ranks." His eyes were inquisitive, closely following her face.

"I'm freer to bitch that way," Yuna said tauntingly. She giggled and shook her head, "No, I didn't have any chance to stay there for much longer. My clan is dead, isn't it? The clan has no point in keeping a dysfunctional marriage when it has no profit. I value my life, so I decided to remain useful for the clan."

The corner of Harue's mouth twitched merrily, "So you decided to postpone the judgement day...am I right?" He looked down to the beaming woman.

She just giggled and tilted her head childishly

The strange emptiness lingered in her stomach. She had to get used to those soldier pills again since now she was going to have them more often.

The quartet reached the village in the evening. The sun hadn't set yet, its warm beams colouring the clouds musky orange.

They didn't enter the village; Harue said it's just a precaution.

The older of the two brothers set his bag down and flexed his muscles, yawning loudly.

"Shall we go over our plans after we've set up camp?" He asked Harue who also put his bag near a large oak tree. The captain turned over and nodded.

"Yuna go find us some water, there should be a river near here to the east. Seiji, Shinjiro go find some wood." Harue spread the tasks. Yuna gathered their water bottles before everyone left. She didn't want to be found sorting through their belongings.

She did notice the look that Shinjiro was giving Harue. The man on the other hand was ignorant about it, or faked ignorance. Yuna glanced between the two before hurrying off. She was familiar with the area and roughly knew about the location or the river.

The forest was quiet; the only sounds that she heard were the wind blowing and Seiji's out of tune singing. The latter made her smile.

The boy was incredibly carefree in almost any situation; it was relieving that something was there to brighten up her day.

It was a momentary distraction for her, but when that faded her thoughts drifted, involuntarily, back to Madara. Now that their marriage, if you could call it that, was finished she also lost her status and her access to information. Not to mention that Madara sent her on a mission just a few hours later!

How long will it take for the Uchiha to form a new alliance? They can't do it too quickly; otherwise it will be bad for the reputation.

She heaved a relieved sigh when she reached the river. Yuna couldn't hear Seiji's howling anymore. She set down the bottles and began filling Harue's when her head whipped on the right.

"What are you doing here?" She asked loud enough for the younger brother to hear. He stepped out from behind a tree trunk, holding some wood. At least he didn't discard his assignment completely.

Shinjiro's face remained bare of any emotions. His dark eyes were guarded. Yuna looked right into the dark orbs with a relaxed expression. She popped off the cap of the second bottle, her eyes not leaving Shinjiro's eyes. Realization dawned to her.

"You don't trust me." She exclaimed. It didn't insult her. She would probably suspect herself as well; after all...she had every reason to betray Madara and the Uchiha. Shinjiro remained in his spot, not moving closer or further from her.

"It's great that you understand. The other two might let you slack off, but I'm not going to leave you unattended." His voice was grim, but his eyes didn't match.

All of the bottles were filled. Yuna rose up and sighed.

"Go ahead, do as you please, but I have my reasons for staying," _Yeah stupid pride that tells me to prove the asshole wrong_, "so while I'm here I might as well do my job." She responded with a bleak voice before walking off.

Yuna could sense the youngster follow her in the shadows. Annoying.

Harue had already set a fire. Yuna distributed the bottles and they sat down around the fire.

"So," Harue said, resting his hands on his chest, "Yuna, you won't be even near the sponsors lair. You'll be looking around for the money."

Shinjiro almost stood up to protest, but Harue raised his hand to stop him.

"She has no bloodline traits, and frankly with us three she won't be needed either." Yuna's eyebrow twitched at the blatant insult.

"How many gatherings have you attended with Madara?" He asked, directing the question to Yuna.

She held her composure.

"Only one, so most people don't even know what I look like. I can blend in with the crowd here since I don't look like an Uchiha. No one would ever suspect that I'm one of you."

Seiji tilted his head, "Are you sure about leaving her alone? Not that I suspect her deeply or anything," that was aimed towards Yuna, "but better be safe than sorry."

Harue nodded and fetched a small bag from his pocket. He turned it upside down and a small blue pill fell onto his palm.

"This is a trace. Yuna, you'll swallow this. That way I can locate you wherever you go. Is that alright with you two?" He asked the two brothers. Yuna sighed, not like anyone cared how she felt about that. Nevertheless she swallowed the pill. It's not like something could really happen if she did.

It was around midday when Yuna entered the village. She was posing as a regular traveller, her weapons hidden so she wouldn't draw attention to herself.

The village seemed to be in a festive mood, they were going to celebrate the birthday of the lord in a few days and preparations were already made. Shopkeepers were decorating their doors and displays; some were helping employees to put up lanterns.

It was all working up well. People were too busy to notice her. She smiled and stretched her hands over her head.

This was basically free time for her. The Sharingan users were going to look into the sponsor's head and would know the location of the money. She had nothing to do there.

Despite the soldier pill Yuna still bought herself some sweets, munching them while walking around the village.

At first glance it didn't seem like a place that had something shady going on. Yuna was reaching the northern outskirts of the village when she noticed a woman looking at her.

She was standing in front of a trinket shop. Her hair was wrapped in a light blue scarf and she was dressed in a colourful dress. The woman had green piercing eyes; they sent chills down Yuna's spine.

Her lips curved up to a smile before she entered the shop.

Yuna munched on the last piece of candy and stuffed the rest in her pocket before she began walking to the shop.

The doorbell rang when she opened the door. It was a shop that sold pedants, scarves, herbs and even crystal. There was no one behind the counter and the woman was nowhere in sight.

"Come here!" Yuna heard the woman order with her soft voice. Almost willingly she obeyed her, walking to the back room of the store.

The walls were covered with coloured fabrics, making the room seem larger than it really was. There was a wooden table in the middle. Its dark brown surface was covered with small cracks. The woman sat on the chair, her hands resting on the table in a casual position. She smiled, "Come and sit down," her words were tempting.

"Why?" Yuna asked, snapping back to reality. It was naive of her to go in that shop anyway, but a peak wouldn't hurt. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes in a 'oh the young ones nowadays' way. Before the lady could snap at her Yuna plopped herself down on the seat, "Yeah-yeah alright." She sighed.

The woman reached out and softly picked up one of her hands. Yuna didn't jump at the contact, but she did almost jerk her hand away.

"Sorry," she muttered quietly, but it didn't seem like the woman could hear. The old lady's fingers traced the lines on her palms and she clicked her tongue.

"Oh dear what a mess...what a horrible-horrible mess you are...One marriage and no children. One, if not more of your family members are not with you. I can't tell that specifically..."

Yuna's body tensed, but the woman was not paying attention to that.

"I am quite alright." She replied dryly. It wasn't completely a lie.

The woman smirked, not looking up from her hand she said: "But I wasn't wrong about you, right?"

It was more of a statement than a question. The fortune teller was confident about herself.

She looked up and smiled amusedly, "After all of the chaos and toying you will have a man wrapped around your finger. You have control over him but he's different from the other men so it's not the control you imagine. In the end you'll have to make a choice, if not handled well either could doom you."

Yuna involuntarily leaned forward curiously, "What if I...choose right and handle it...well enough?"

The woman's green eyes looked happy, "Then you will be alright in the end. Both of the choices will force you to discard something very important so your happiness isn't certain, but in the end we make our own luck. What I say isn't absolute; nothing is carved into stone for sure. Everything would change if you decided to change something about your life radically."

Yuna's eyes were wide; she suddenly pulled out the bag of candies from her pocket, "Want one?" She asked, pushing the bag towards the woman.

The lady took one and held it between her fingers.

"You're strangely calm, even though I just revealed that your remaining life won't be happy most likely." Yuna plopped another lemon drop onto her tongue and shrugged.

"I didn't expect it to be happy, or glorious...Though you said it yourself didn't you?"

She got out of the chair and walked to the doorway, "Future isn't carved to the stone."

Before Yuna could leave the woman got up, "What you're searching for in this village is hidden in the closed bakery shop in the biggest oven." She said loud enough for Yuna to hear.

Yuna stopped at the doorway, feeling suspicious. _As if I'm going to believe her...She can't know that! _

But the curiosity was too big, and she would've loved to see Shinjiro's face if _she _happened to be the one to find the money even before them.

Hurriedly she ran away from the strange shop, not looking behind and trying to find the closed bakery that the lady was talking about. Yuna was sure that she passed it earlier...

Well...I haven't done one of these in a while. So I'm going to say sorry that there is no YunaxMadara in this chapter but I promise that there will be in the next =D

Also I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favourites and alerts :D I haven't done it so far so THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! I never thought that this story would have this much readers! I'm already passing 20 000 hits which is so amazing since my past stories haven't reached that number.

It is summer now so I'll try to write as much as I can since I have only two more months before school starts and I'll be busy again, so if possible I'm going to finish writing this story this summer. I have two more edited chapters, not including this one, so you'll get one each week.

Until next time,

K


	26. Chapter 26

26.

Gone, it was all gone. Yuna couldn't even remember wanting to see Madara again. Yet it was unavoidable that she had to go. It was Madara-_sama_'s request after all. Even the triumphant feeling she got after seeing Shinjiro's face when she found and returned with the money had died. Everything positive was replaced by the growing feeling of dread and anger.

Her hands were clutching a dark blue scroll, a report about the mission that she was instructed to write. Harue helped (mocked) her by pointing out smaller errors.

She knocked on his door and didn't wait for a reply before opening the door. Her eyebrow twitched when she heard someone's yelp. By the black hair Yuna guessed it was an Uchiha woman who was sitting on Madara's lap. He peeked out from behind her and sighed, "Would you at least wait before coming in like that?"

The woman quickly got of him and straightened her kimono to cover up everything that needed to be covered and hurried away. Yuna watched her until the door was shut before turning to Madara who was leaning on his desk, his face as serious as he could manage in the situation.

Yuna was the first one to break the silence, "Seriously?" She asked. A laugh escaped her lips, "Then again it is far beyond your reach to live on your own."

He cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?" His eyes were annoyed. Even after such a long time Madara wouldn't accept anyone badmouthing him. Even if it was true.

"Face it; you can't live without having a woman, if not more, in your life, seeing as you have arranged a new marriage already!" She mocked, throwing her hands over her head dramatically. She walked around, finding it hard to stay on one spot.

Madara frowned and snorted, "I guess news does really travel fast around here...I thought that it's just talk. I can live without women, but you on the other hand were even ready to fake pregnancy in order to keep me with you." So defensive.

_What are you afraid of?_

That's a question Yuna didn't dare to ask out loud. Madara would be angered, claiming that he isn't afraid of anything. Another scenario consists of him walking past her silently and then stands by the door in a dramatic pose and whips his hair before looking at Yuna with those dashing eyes and saying "I'm afraid of myself.", or something along those lines. Then he would close the door and wander off just to realise that he has nothing else to do and he'd return to his office.

Yuna shook the idiotic images out of her head and focused on what's in front of her.

Madara's hand reached into a drawer, searching something with his impatience frown forming on his forehead when he couldn't find what he wanted to instantly.

His hand brought out the new mission scroll. For a moment Yuna lost her ground before she walked up to Madara and leaned down close to his lips, just barely brushing them.

"Who knows...maybe I'm not faking it..." She whispered before snatching the scroll from Madara's hand and leaving her report there.

She nearly ran out from the room even though Madara told her to wait.

So the scenario earlier was almost a copy and paste of what she imagined with Madara, just a few details changed.

With a pleased smile she left the room and headed to the training field to find Harue.

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Just a few hours later Yuna found herself in a position she didn't fancy a lot. Yuna crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Madara who was sitting across her.

"You don't need a bodyguard you egoistical bully!" She crossed her arms on her chest and slouched in her chair.

Madara had plopped his feet on the chair and was lying on his back.

"Well I thought it would be good if you met her today, since you're going to be with her all the time. When she eats her breakfast, when she sleeps, when she's taking a bath..." Yuna grimaced and stuck her tongue out.

"That's disgusting of you."

"Didn't you know that before you married me darling?" He asked with a mocking, over the top sweet tone that made Yuna's eyes bleed.

"You're disgusting."

"So are you carrying my child?"

"Am I-Wait what!" She shouted. Madara sat up and looked in her eyes curiously. Yuna couldn't even see a trace of amusement.

He...

He was serious about this.

"Are you pregnant?" He repeated the question.

Yuna smiled and glanced away, "Oh who knows...only Mother Nature..." she mused. "I guess you will find out if I suddenly go really fat and start throwing tantrums."

Madara's eyebrow rose, "You've been doing for the past few months so it's hard to note the difference."

The snarky remark earned him a glare from Yuna. He managed to call her fat and bad-tempered in one sentence. It's time to counter the bastard.

"Oh did you know? I'm sharing the room with my team captain. Did I mention that he is so gorgeous and...Oh that body! I get a glimpse every time he changes. His body is probably the _best _I've ever seen in my life!" Her smile disappeared when Madara's eyes were suddenly right in front of hers, his breath tickling her upper lip. His knee was sitting between her legs and his right hand was right next to her ear, his large body cramming her in the carriage corner.

Her eyes were amused and she smirked.

"Oh yeah...you were crammed in my life too at some point."

"Shut up." He cut her off.

Yuna obeyed his words and didn't say a word, but the mocking expression remained.

"What you and I do is different. I don't get attached to any of the women I am with."

_Not even me? _She thought.

"And I am with a woman only once. It gets too boring otherwise."

_Even with me? _

"So don't you ever mention another man in front of me again and also remember..."

He paused before leaning close to her ear.

"I'm the best you've ever had." He whispered those chilling words in her ear, sending tingles down her spine that made her squirm under him, and she couldn't go anywhere. Madara had her cornered.

She sucked in a breath when the tip of his tongue briefly touched a sensitive spot on her neck. It was so brief that she found herself leaning towards him.

Yuna closed her eyes and relaxed. She couldn't remember the last time they kissed. It probably wasn't that long time ago, but she missed the feeling. It was different every time, depending on his mood.

If he was angry or feeling possessive he would always be harsh, but that night that she spent with him before their divorce, back then he was so gentle.

His free hand was moving down her spine before it lifted up her shirt. Yuna, who momentarily gained some control tried to stop him, but Madara used his right hand to pin her, compared to his, tiny wrists over her head. Even on the bumpy road he managed to keep his balance.

Madara's lips gave Yuna a moment to take in a breath occasionally. The ninja had memorized all of her sensitive spots with just two times and was mercilessly using all of his knowledge.

He smirked when an occasional yelp or moan seeped through Yuna's lips.

His lips left hers and moved down to her chest. While his tongue was caressing one and his hand touching the other breast, his free hand moved down to her pants.

She gasped quietly, hoping that the man outside wouldn't hear, when Madara's fingers teased her, just barely touching her.

Yuna leaned towards him but he skilfully moved away just as quick. She was shaking under him, digging her nails in the wooden walls just to keep her calmer.

His hand only brushed her entrance, then stopping there. Yuna had the urge to pout as a child already but then it was all over.

Madara simply pulled away, leaving her blushing. She quickly pulled her shirt down and straightened her clothes.

"We're here."

Yuna just now noticed that the carriage had stopped.

She frowned; her good mood ruined now and nearly kicked the door open before climbing out.

Yuna had never visited or met the Senju clan so it was fairly interesting for her. Their main house was hidden deep into the forest, surrounded by natural rivers and animals.

A man was sent to meet them at the front. He bowed deeply, "I welcome you Uchiha-sama. Please follow me to mistress Chinatsu."

Yuna followed the man wordlessly, not sure what to expect. Madara looked over his shoulder to Yuna before smirking.

"I expect you to behave well in front of her; after all I'm basically giving you to her as a gift."

Yuna's fist tightened. That...that MAN! He purposely waited until they were in the Senju main house where they were most likely surrounded with spies before saying something as arrogant as that.

"Of course Madara-_sama_." She pressed through gritted teeth and a forced smile.

Just in a few moments she was going to see Madara' new wife, Yuna didn't even know who the wife is.

The man who was leading them knelt down next to a door and slid them open for them. Yuna went inside and sat next to Madara.

That's when she let her eyes take in who were in front of her.

Senju Chinatsu was a beauty that was far greater than any Uchiha woman's. Her well balanced features were going to stir up a great deal of jealousy in the Uchiha. Her chocolate eyes, framed with thick luscious lashes held a mischievous glint in them. Her full lips that were painted red, they matched the flowers on her kimono were curved up to a hungry smile.

Next to the beauty sat a man Yuna had only heard about, Senju Hashirama was very much alive and sitting right in front of her.

Unlike Madara he didn't make her feel scared, he didn't look like he'd act superior. His tan skin and dark hair looked wonderful together and his dark eyes looked friendly.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Madara. The last time we met was when we formed the alliance, wasn't it?" Yuna's mouth almost dropped. He was so much different from what she imagined. Then again Izuna seemed nice as well.

"Yes, you are correct. I'm hoping that we can make great things in the future." On the surface Madara seemed nice, almost friendly, but Yuna saw past that. She knew that Madara still disliked the Senju clan deeply, but he couldn't ignore that being on bad terms with the Senju wasn't benefiting in any way.

Hashirama turned to Chinatsu, whose eyes hadn't left Madara.

"This is my dear sister, Chinatsu-san. Please take very good care of her Madara-sama. It pains me to give her away but Chinatsu had the choice to refuse as well."

Yuna held back a pout. _Did anyone ask me anything? NOOOOO they didn't! _

She didn't dislike Chinatsu, not yet at least but she was afraid of her. She was beautiful, elegant...just perfect...and she had to keep Madara while being up against her.

It was...discouraging.

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Yuna was "kicked out" from the cabin outside to sit next to the driver.

Their carriage was followed by another one that contained Chinatsu's belongings.

Just the thought that the beautiful woman was sitting there, most likely in Madara's arms was disgusting her. That was something she could only tell Madara.

If anyone, her thoughts drifted to Shinjiro, found out about her thoughts then she would lose her head.

It was cold outside, and the driver was boring her with his silence. So Yuna leaned back and closed her eyes to sleep.

A part of her was sure that she's going to dream about Madara and Chinatsu.

How they are cuddling here, right under her ass.

And what's worse, Madara isn't going to care about her feelings. Not one bit.

Yuna was right about them cuddling. Almost a few seconds after they were seated inside Chinatsu leaned on his chest and rested her hand on his thigh. Madara didn't resist her, but a sense of nostalgia washed over him.

He remembered his first encounter with Yuna.

"_We're supposed to get familiar...so talk!" _

She had already begun testing him back there. He smirked when he remembered that just after he left she had broken something, a bowl or a cup. He couldn't tell from that far away.

Madara could remember every forceful kiss and slap that he had given her. It was just for amusement then because of the stress and tension that was in the air back then.

Chinatsu didn't seem happy with Yuna's presence, but she didn't seem to mind as well.

Madara held back the urge to sigh before he leaned his head back, thinking about the stupid woman sitting outside.

**As promised a new chapter for you! Next one will be uploaded on the 27****th**** and for a good reason haha XD Hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^**


	27. Chapter 27

27.

It was the first night that Chinatsu and Madara spent together. Chinatsu had dismissed Yuna just after dinner, leaving her restless in her room. Yuna was on her bed, arms behind her head and one of her feet tapping against the wall. It was past midnight already and Yuna's curiosity wouldn't let her sleep.

"Would you stop that?" She heard Harue's annoyed voice ask. His head rose from the pillows and sleepily glared at Yuna. Yuna's foot abruptly stopped and she sighed.

"Sorry I'm just really worried..." He sighed and turned on his back and rubbed his eyes.

"Since I won't be able to sleep until you calm down I'll try to help you. Why are you concerned woman?" Yuna's eyebrow rose. Harue's words sounded like something Madara would say, except for the part where he mentioned helping her.

"I'm worried about Chinatsu. I know nothing about her background, is she targeted often or even who she is. Today was the first time I even heard about her. If anything happens to her I'll be responsible and that could also affect the peace that's between Senju and Uchiha." She ranted. Harue seemed half asleep but he was listening.

After Yuna finished there was a long silence. Harue turned his back towards her.

"I'll ask around if anyone knows anything. If it were you to do the asking they wouldn't reveal anything since some of the men here are blockheads who can't see that the clan is screwed if you mess something up." His last words were slurred as he fell asleep.

Yuna smiled and got under the covers.

"Thank you, Harue." She whispered.

Harue only responded with a sleepy snort before he turned on his other side.

Yuna crawled under the covers and stared at the ceiling. It didn't make her fears and worries disappear, but it eased her tension enough to let her sleep a bit.

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A few days had passed since Yuna last saw Harue and it was bugging her. She needed to hear from him, even if he couldn't find anything!

Watching Chinatsu and Madara together was, to put it softly, mildly disturbing. When Yuna did everything to fight back, to make the marriage as hard as possible then Chinatsu was maybe even too willing. She was a perfect arranged-marriage wife. Not too forceful, and doing everything Madara told her to.

Even so her dominating personality showed through small hints and gestures.

On the first few days she even dared to try controlling Madara's actions. If not completely then just slightly.

Madara allowed her to come to a meeting with him and openly criticized his decision…in front of the other clansmen.

She and Madara left the room for a few minutes and Madara returned alone. After that Chinatsu didn't even go close to the meeting room.

As stupid as Yuna perceived it to be she still admired her guts. Chinatsu was almost like her, only…she knew how to fight with intelligence and a grace but her rebellion wasn't against marriage.

It was to tame Uchiha Madara.

Or 'The Great Suicide Mission of Senju Chinatsu' as Yuna liked to call it.

A week after the incident, while Chinatsu was reading in her room, Harue finally knocked on the door.

"Go get it." Chinatsu ordered Yuna without even looking up from the scroll.

Yuna held back a grimace and got up before opening the door. She almost burst out laughing out of happiness when she saw Harue.

"Senju-sama, may I talk to Yuna in private for a couple of minutes?" His dark eyes weren't looking at Chinatsu; they were focusing on her feet.

The woman turned her head and smirked before nodding.

"Fine," was her short answer.

Yuna stepped outside and closed the door. They moved away to a different hallway before Yuna grinned widely.

"Oh how I've been waiting you…Did you find anything?"

Harue sighed and leaned against the wall.

"That's the point…I couldn't find anything! No one knows her, no one has heard of her. It's like she didn't even exist up until now."

He paused.

"So there are two scenarios in my head, her brother was either really protective, or there's something fishy here. I suspect the latter. It is the Senju after all."

Yuna tilted her head and her lips pouted, "After all you're an Uchiha. Don't just assume the worst…but if it is then we're in trouble. It's not like we have any solid proof and questioning something so outrageous would be a violation and an insult."

A grin formed on Harue's lips, "Then let's be quiet and try to investigate. Even if the theory is far-fetched and most likely false it won't hurt to investigate."

Yuna laughed and shook her head, "As you wish then, but I must hurry back. Chinatsu might be suspicious already…though I doubt that. She reads, all the time. I have no idea what."

Harue rolled his eyes and ushered her forward by nudging her with his hand. Yuna rolled her eyes and ran away quietly.

She took a deep breath in behind the door before she entered the room.

Yuna walked across the room and sat down a few feet away from Chinatsu, so she had a good look at her.

Chinatsu's finger, it was tapping against her lower lip, stopped abruptly and she lowered one of the many scrolls that she had hoarded in the room and looked up.

"That man, what did he want to talk about?"

Yuna couldn't mask her surprise. A silent fear was growing inside of her as she was looking through her head to find any kind of lie that would work.

Surprisingly, Chinatsu laughed.

"Oh, I get it," she mused.

Yuna gripped the fabric of her pants to keep her hands from shaking.

_Stop acting suspicious! Even she isn't paranoid enough to think anything… _Yuna shouted in her mind.

It was almost a lie.

Yuna had no idea what this woman was thinking about.

Chinatsu was like a geisha; untouchable, cold, perfect, mysterious. She only allowed you to see what she wanted to see.

"That man was your lover! Of course you wouldn't want to reveal your conversations to me…I have to apologize for asking." She said with a smile.

It was short lived. The smile was replaced by a strict look.

"I would be grateful, Yuna, if you didn't deal with your personal life while guarding me. What if I were assassinated while you're lusting over some man?"

Her voice had risen considerably. It was only one step away from yelling.

Yuna hastily bowed deeply, "I am sorry Chinatsu-sama. It will never happen again." She assured her with a blank voice. Chinatsu laughed once more and got up. Yuna looked up, not entirely sure how to react.

"Come, we're going to Madara. I can't have you distracted, so I'll have him to talk to you."

Yuna was up in a split second and had to use all of her willpower not to smile. She conjured up a stern expression and got up.

Chinatsu walked at front. When it was Yuna, people didn't really notice her, but with Chinatsu, every Uchiha woman and man got out of her way and bowed. Even behind the smiles and bows Yuna knew that they all carried suspicion and curiosity with them.

There were several rumours floating around, that Yuna was still in love with Madara along with those who claimed that Yuna was in a relationship with Harue.

When they were close to the office Chinatsu giggled.

"I've heard the rumours, but I never thought that they were actually true."

Yuna's heart started thumping hard.

"What rumours?" She asked.

Chinatsu looked back, one eyebrow elegantly rose, and "You mean you haven't heard about the ones going around about you and Captain Harue? You really are clueless…"

Yuna ignored the insult and focused on the present.

She was going to see Madara, in private. That's something she hadn't experienced in a while.

Chinatsu opened the door without knocking and ran to Madara's table and pecked him on the lips. Yuna came in and closed the door behind her, trying to focus on the painting of a woman on the wall while Chinatsu was being affectionate. She moved against the wall, sliding herself almost next to Madara's desk.

"…So could you make sure that the people guarding me were a bit more dedicated? I can't feel safe and protected while she's making out with some other guy while I'm all alone!"

Madara's face was priceless. The expression of shock and amusement mixed with confusion. Yuna almost burst out laughing; she would've if Madara hadn't shot her an especially angry look.

Chinatsu smiled and walked to the door, "I'll wait in the gardens until you're done." She announced before closing the door.

Yuna giggled nervously and raised her hands.

"It is so not what you think it is." She warned but Madara wasn't even listening. He had her pinned on top of the table in a mere second, Yuna's leg wrapped around his waist comfortably.

Yuna cringed and groaned, "Seriously, do you have to do this? I have some scroll of world history digging into my buttocks."

Madara released one of her hands and she groaned as she lifted her body upwards, against Madara's chest, and threw the scroll on the ground.

"So, you don't get any attention from me for a week or two and you go to another man? I don't share."

Oh famous last words. Yuna snorted and pouted.

"I don't have another guy, and for your information I don't love to share you either but hey you're still kissing her in front of me." Madara's grip around her shoulder tightened.

"Does it look like I have a choice?" He hissed. Yuna frowned.

"Well it's not like I could tell her that I had someone snoop around to dig info about her! I had no idea what to say so I just went along with the lovers' tale!"

Madara, frustrated and annoyed, decided to kiss her. She responded without hesitating, wrapping her other leg around his waist as well, caressing his face and touching his hair.

It seemed like forever since they had made out. He broke the kiss to remove his shirt and Yuna's eyes widened.

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed, "Right here and now?" She asked.

Madara grinned and bent down to her ear, the tips of his hair tickling her skin.

"Well it's not like we're going to get another chance soon."

His tone…so passionate, longing…Yuna was doomed and smiled before she leaned up and connected their lips once more.

He lifted her shirt while Yuna unbuttoned her pants, pushing them off with her hands and feet.

It didn't take long before both of them were covered with a thin layer of sweat.

_Why are you doing this to me? _She asked herself.

Madara felt better than she remembered. His firm muscled chest pressed against her chest.

_This is stupid…I could die for something like this…_

Yuna heard his silenced grunts near her ear. She whimpered, knowing that if they make any noise they're caught, but it was proving difficult for both of them.

It was so hard to contain her.

She just wanted to devour him, be with him forever and never let go, never share.

Yuna accidentally pushed a large pile of scrolls on the ground, the clacked loudly but Madara didn't even hear it.

He didn't even want to notice.

All that he wanted was to feel her from head to toe.

Yuna's nails dug into his back and she bit into her lips so she wouldn't start screaming right there. He didn't even know how he'd explain the marks to Chinatsu if she happened to see them. Madara instinctively came even closer to her.

Her back arched and she moaned, a quiet moan but loud enough to make her feel alarmed.

Both of them were panting as Madara nuzzled closer to her without saying a word.

_Why do you make me give into lust__…?_

**I am happy to announce that today is Bite Me's one year anniversary! I wanted to hold uploading this chapter because it's the twenty seventh of august and this is the twenty seventh chapter and also my storie's birthday ^.^ So thank you everyone for staying with me for an entire year while suffering the consequences of my blocks and random updates 3**


	28. Chapter 28

28.

"We really have to stop doing it in random places." Yuna mumbled against Madara's chest. His body was warm and his heart beat was steady. She couldn't really see anything, but it didn't bother her. Actually, she was grateful.

His eyebrow rose and a smug grin appeared on his lips. So arrogant and confident…

"What's wrong with random places?" He asked teasingly, finding the situation almost funny. Yuna groaned and got up from the floor and walked across the dim room and started picking up her clothing. She wasn't even entirely sure what room this was. A storage room? _Or __maybe __this __room __was __left __empty __so __people __could __have __affair?_ She thought sarcastically. A humourless smile formed on her lips.

"Well I will be killed and you will be an outcast if we get caught. Not to mention that we'll have a huge problem rising if I become pregnant." Madara masked his face with the same calm look he always bore. He knew the risks, but he also knew that he's _Madara_.

"Just lie that it's Harue's," was his nonchalant response.

He didn't see Yuna's expression in the dark, and she was glad that he didn't. She put on her socks and a humourless laugh escaped her lips.

"Oh yeah and how am I going to explain the origins of the baby to Harue…"

Madara sat up with a smirk, "You're a smart girl, figure something out."

"_To be honest I'm jealous, Yuna." Chinatsu suddenly said. Yuna's head shot up with confusion. _

_It was evening and Yuna was staying until Madara decided to show up. Yuna's usual uptight posture was gone, instead she was sitting, leaning against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her._

"_I don't understand." She admitted with a polite smile. Chinatsu's head turned to her sharply with a mocking grin. _

"_Of course you don't understand you silly girl!" She shouted. Yuna took a breath in._

"_Please explain then?" _

_Chinatsu tied her obi a little tighter to make her small waist seem even smaller. _

"_I've heard that Madara is a playboy, but I am doing everything to make him interested in me! He just doesn't respond! I am so ready to have a child because that's what both clans need for peace. It's all up to me to smooth everything out!" _

_She paused and tilted her head back to keep the tears from falling. _

"_THEN I hear that you're his previous wife."_

"_I'm sorry for not telling you." _

_Lies._

_She wasn't regretting it at all. _

_Chinatsu laughed. _

"_I could blame you for not telling me, but I wouldn't say anything in your position either. It would just stir up unnecessary drama." She raised her finger, "What I do blame you for is making it hard for me. You're always quiet, when you could've said something."_

_A surprised look crossed Yuna's face. _

"_I didn't say anything because you and Madara-sama seemed to do well. I didn't think that I have any need to say anything…"_

"_Well now you know! You should've said something!" _

"_It's not my business. Even if it were, I wouldn't know what to say. My marriage with him was a fiasco, he cheated before the marriage, and I'm sure during as well, but I didn't care enough to notice. I never even thought about having a child with him."_

"_Why not?" Chinatsu asked. It was the first time they had lowered the mistress-servant barriers to talk. _

"_Because…please don't tell anyone I said this, because with me he was a bad-tempered, annoying and arrogant. I would never have a child with a man like that."_

_Surprisingly, the mistress laughed, she laughed like never before. _

"_Oh god and I thought that I was the only one thinking that! Except for the child part, I have to do that." _

_Yuna couldn't believe it. Chinatsu was actually…nice when she didn't have the high and mighty barrier around her._

"_Well Madara seems more mature now…Didn't your brother say that you have a choice?" _

_Chinatsu snorted, "Yes," was her curt response. On a second thought, she decided to explain it. _

"_They say that I have a choice, but I know how they will act if I refuse. Openly disappointed, mocking…My pride can't handle that. Even after years of living with them I still don't have a skin thick enough. Don't get me wrong, they are my family and I love them, but…" _

"_Sometimes you just want to be no one?" Suggested Yuna, Chinatsu nodded. _

"_You know…when I had to marry him, my family told me about a week before the wedding." _

_The woman's eyebrows rose in surprise and she giggled, "That's harsh…"_

Yuna crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to Madara, kissing him on the lips shortly before skipping out of the door.

"Well since you don't need me anymore I'll go on a date with the lovely Harue." She said mockingly before slamming the door shut and walking away.

Lies. She wasn't even going near to Harue. Instead, under the cover of darkness, she ran to the woods near the compound.

It was so cold outside. People were expecting snow soon. Finally something to look forward to. She couldn't wait to see the compound painted white with the small crystals.

Yuna stopped with a sigh and leaned against a tree. She wrapped her arms around her to keep warm before biting her lip.

_No crying._

"I can't believe it." Yuna jumped when she heard Harue's voice. He was leaning against the tree with his hands crossed on his chest. Harue's face was completely blank, but his eyes looked disappointed…surprised even.

Yuna didn't dare to speak. She could only hear herself breathing everything else was silent.

"I was suspicious from the start, but you two make it so obvious. If you're going to have an affair do it properly damn it!"

Yuna stared at him with a frightened look. Her lower lip was shaking.

_I will die…He's going to tell…_

She straightened up and forced her face to relax, but it didn't stop the tears in her eyes.

"Are you taking me to the advisors or something? It's not like Madara is going to punish me…"

Harue snorted and shook his head.

"I won't report it. You really think I'm that stupid to botch up everything because you two are idiots?"

Yuna's eyes widened, it felt as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"I would thank you, but I don't think that's what you want…"

Harue ignored it and groaned, "What if you are pregnant and it comes out?"

Yuna almost laughed…almost. "Madara…when I mentioned that possibility he told me to say it's yours since everyone thinks that we're a couple anyway. He called the baby 'it' and told me to grow it with someone else. I will never have a child with a man who takes it for granted. I wouldn't even talk about it."

Harue sighed, "Walk with me, the cold is not good for you," he told Yuna. She had a doubtful look before she walked over to him. Together they started walking back to the compound slowly.

"Madara is an amazing ninja and a leader. He possesses a good judgement and mind when it comes to battle. The minus side is that he has a very bad temper, but you know all about that already," Harue laughed quietly.

"What my point is, that Madara-sama is awkward when it comes to family and love. He believes women are a bother and love is overrated, but if he ever had a child, I'm sure he would try his best to take care of it. Do you get my point?" He smiled softly.

Yuna sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"You honestly won't say anything to anyone? How did you even find out?"

"Well I've spotted you two twice so far, by accident." He grinned widely, "I'm a team leader after all and all of you are like my children." Harue added like a proud father.

Yuna looked at the ground instead as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world, but dropped that plan when the first thing she saw was dog poop.

"That actually isn't disturbing…luckily." She muttered under her breath. It could be far worse. The image of Shinjiro's face if Harue ever tried to seduce the young boy made her grin.

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Yuna didn't go back to her room. Instead, she found herself strolling to a pond, a small pond because she noticed something there.

"Aoi!" She called quietly. The black cat that had been playing with a dead mouse suddenly stopped and looked at Yuna instead.

Yuna started to walk closer slowly. She stopped a few feet away and knelt down with a smile.

"Come here kitty…" She whispered with a smile and extended her hand. The car meowed before her attention shifted and she ran away.

"I guess the cat really doesn't like me."

Yuna wasn't startled; she felt his chakra a few seconds before he spoke. Yuna looked over her shoulder with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Izuna shrugged with the trademark smile of his, "Wind carried me here to the lonely lady."

Yuna remained silent for a moment, wondering if she should ask the question that had been there for quite a while. Izuna was about to leave.

"Who were you parents? What were they like?" She blurted the question out before the momentary courage left her. Izuna stopped and looked over his shoulder with a grim look. He was so quick to drop the polite act around Yuna.

"Why won't you ask Madara? Did you forget my general dislike for you?" He asked calmly with a hint of amusement. Yuna shook her head.

"Not at all. He wouldn't tell me, but I need to understand. I want to understand his arrogance towards the world."

"Why? Don't tell me you're in love with him…"

"Wrong again. It's just for personal satisfaction. I'd hate to think of Madara as a bad person. Every bad guy has a story, a story that makes you feel sorry for him and understand why he is who he is today."

"So you do love him?"

He was already annoying her.

"No, Izuna I don't. I want you to tell me just for the sake of knowing."

Lies, all lies, but only Yuna knew the real reasons.

Izuna sighed and shook his head.

"I won't explain anything in detail. It's personal, just like your reasons, and also none of your business," he paused and turned to face her, "What I can explain is that our father, was very much like Madara is right now. Strong, stubborn, brutal – Madara most likely picked up those traits from him even though our mother loved us and was caring. Even so, Madara doesn't display or completely lacks the caring side that our mother showed. Our father occasionally had his moments, but most of the time he was a team captain, an honourable Uchiha ninja. It's fairly obvious that both of our parents passed away long time ago."

Izuna paused to take a breath. Everything around Yuna felt meaningless. The way Izuna talked was alluring; his eyes became clouded as if he saw something beautiful. He recalled the past that he had cast aside for such a long time. There was no need to think about his childhood, so he didn't. Now that someone forced him to, Izuna started to see everything beautiful that there was. He tried not to think about the end of it.

Because the end wasn't one of a fairytale.

He suddenly snapped back to reality, the clouded look disappeared along with his flow of memories.

"Did that answer satisfy you?" He questioned.

"Can I ask you another question?"

Izuna leaned against the pillar.

"You're going to do it anyway, so go ahead."

"Why do you hate me?"

He didn't expect that, but back in his mind, Izuna knew that Yuna might be wondering about it. Why? That remained a mystery to him.

"I hate the type of people that do nothing. People like you who choose to withstand it all instead of fighting."

Yuna smirked, almost laughed.

"I think you meant to say patient, clever and calculating. Being here has made me grow up. My temper doesn't cloud my judgement and I've learned to plan ahead."

Izuna smirked, "There are always two choices, to act or to wait. Both have their ups and downs."

"You're contradicting, Izuna. You say that you hate people, who wait, do nothing, yet you're one of the most calculating and patient person I know."

He laughed, "You and me are completely different. Don't even think about comparing us. For one I am loyal to my brother, and my clan. Where does your loyalty lie? Nowhere."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I know that you will leave Madara at some point. I'm asking this as Madara's brother, stay by his side. I don't like you, but he seems to…I'm not sure if you call it like, but he's gotten used to you, gotten so used to you that he lowers his barriers when he's around you. That's why he says careless things that he doesn't really mean. Just because he doesn't feel, the need to think what is right to say and what isn't. So don't take everything he says seriously, because most of it…he doesn't mean. Madara may be arrogant but he isn't heartless or stupid. He can tell the difference between right and wrong. So do him a favour and stay with him. Don't betray him and he will respect you for it. Madara holds loyalty above other things."

"That's quite a speech. So basically, you're requesting for me to stay here. Stay by his side…you know very well that he's going to fall. One day, he will fall. I've told you already, haven't I? _The __higher __you __are __the __harder __you __fall. _Madara won't be an exception. Every great leader makes a fatal mistake at some point. That's the only reason we still have quarrels with other clans."

Izuna knew he needed to win this. He had to convince Yuna, somehow. So he resorted to his only hope, bargain.

"If you stay with him, up until the end I will let you walk away free. No hunters, nothing. It's a win-win for you. You get to spend time with your precious man and later when he's gone you can live on."

Yuna smiled softly, it was warming how much Izuna actually cared for his brother.

"Fine. I won't leave before he's gone." Izuna nodded.

"But, why are you asking all of this now. Couldn't you convince him to keep the marriage instead?"

A sly grin appeared, "You know I like to observe the tangles of relationships."

He was serious for a moment and looked almost…

Sad.

"I need you to stay, because his light is already fading. You read about it, didn't you? Madara's light is almost out."

"What are you going to do about it?" Izuna sighed.

Loss of sight.

It was an Uchiha's worst fear; it was drilled in their skulls to fear blindness.

Even so, Izuna prized Madara more than his eyesight. His brother was the one that really needed it.

So there really was only one option.

"I'll give him my light. When the time comes he can take my eyes."

After those words were said, something cold fell on Yuna's hand. She raised her hand to examine it closer, but it had already melted.

Slowly, small flakes of white began to fall.

"It's snowing." Stated Yuna. She didn't want to think about it. About the sadness that came with the Sharingan, and for what? There were plenty of amazing ninja who didn't possess that eye.

Even if Izuna hated her, she didn't wish him such fate. What would become of him? It's the same as robbing his identity.

"It's my duty as a brother." He mumbled, reaching his hand out to catch a flake.

Yuna rose to her feet and walked to Izuna. She smiled to him, a real smile. Yuna hadn't smiled in a while, not like that.

"You've really planned this for a long time…I won't take back my words; you and I are very much alike."

He snorted, making Yuna's smile even bigger.

"If that's what you choose, then I will support you in any way possible."

Just like that, it wasn't hard.

That's what she told herself.

It won't be hard.

Just stand by and watch the people you know suffer, wither and die.

After all, she said those words; _doesn__'__t __that __mean __that __death __is __beautiful?_

Perhaps it is, knowing that those who die pass on to a better place.

Izuna smiled a grateful and thankful smile. One that you didn't see often, but it still happened.

Yuna stepped outside once more and watched up. It was so dark outside already, but the snow really was beautiful.

Already winter.

**Firstly I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. It was really fun to write!**

**Secondly, thank you all for being so patient with me. I have no excuses for posting this late . Please accept my apology and a lifelong batch of cookies! The good news is that I don't have a block XD Actually I'm working on chapter 31 already. Soon I'll get chapter 29 and 30 from my beta soon and they will be posted up here immediately!**


	29. Chapter 29

29.

"What are you doing here?" Yuna asked, without even lifting her eyes from her breakfast. Izuna pulled himself a chair and sat down without asking for permission and smiled. Yuna sighed and slurped her morning miso soup. It was strangely disturbing to see Izuna smile like that after his confessions from the night before.

"Well we're going on a weeklong mission! So eat up, pack and meet me at the front gate in twenty minutes!" He informed her happily. Yuna yawned loudly and groaned in annoyance. What she desired was to curl up in a private corner and sleep. Still, she was glad to get out of the compound for a while. Lately there was too much excessive drama for her liking (even if she had caused most of it) but Yuna would choose the mission with Izuna over sitting and watching Chinatsu read anytime.

Before she could move her brain cells enough to come up with an acceptable response Izuna had already sprinted away to attend everything that needed his attention. But Yuna was instead guessing he just really needed to use the bathroom. She yawned once more and finished her routine breakfast as quickly as she could before dragging herself sluggishly through the polished halls. It was strangely calm; no one was rushing around. Usually everyone was in a hurry to get to the cafeteria as fast as possible to get the rice with the most chicken in it.

The first arrivals always got to choose their tray and would choose the one that had the most meat. It was one of the small, childish pleasures the Uchiha men had. Yuna found it pointless at first, but through time she learned that small joys like that helped the men through the day, made it easier.

She reached her shared room, surprised to find a half-asleep Harue still under the covers and not outside warming up. He was on his back with the blanket not covering his torso and his feet; Harue hadn't even bothered to put a shirt on. Yuna closed the door and giggled before covering his feet, causing him to wake up again.

"It's one of those days for you as well?" She asked jokingly and grabbed a bag and started throwing clothes in it a long with some scrolls and supplies that she guessed would be useful. After all the ever helpful Izuna never really told her anything.

"You're going on a mission? With who?" Harue asked and lazily pushed himself into a sitting position while leaning against the wall, he even opened one eye for that. Yuna snorted and put her bag on the ground before violently punching everything inside so she could close the zipper quickly.

"I'm going on a seven-day mission with Izuna. He didn't even bother to tell me what it is about, but knowing me I would've most likely forgotten it anyways." She put on a thicker jacket, picked up her pack and walked to the door. Yuna was about to leave when she remembered something.

"Also, try to look sad since everyone thinks we're lovers now." Yuna added jokingly with a wink before she hurried out of the door. Harue sighed and shook his head, but it went unnoticed by Yuna.

Izuna's twenty minute limit was long over. He was waiting for her impatiently, but unlike other people, he stayed perfectly still and occupied himself with something else. Izuna never had a twitchy finger or foot. His eyes were focused on the tree branches,

_They're getting foggier._

His eyes shifted, his focus broken when he heard Yuna running down the hall. He smiled politely, it was a habit carved into his reflexes. Ever since he was a kid, he learned to smile to mislead the people around him, and it worked most of the time, until his perfect façade slipped and Yuna saw his true colours. It was a one-time thing; because Izuna could promise Yuna that he isn't actually that brutal, she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yuna reached him in just a few seconds and walked right past him, stepping outside on the frozen road. Surprisingly she found it wasn't slippery as she expected. Yuna smiled, feeling the early-winter sun caress her cheeks. The ground, trees, buildings and roads were all covered by a thin layer of snow that glittered like diamonds under the sun.

"Can you see this?" Yuna asked Izuna as she squatted down to touch the snow with her small hand. The girl took a small fistful and waited for it to melt. She liked the burning sensation in her palms that the snow gave her. It was a strange, partially masochistic habit of hers.

"You know they say that we have most of our nerves in our hands, especially at the tips of our fingers. That's why even blind people can read, because the tips of our fingers are so sensitive." She explained, suddenly remembering something from her biology lessons. Yuna was never really into biology, she fancied literature over anything else. It was regretful that she couldn't read as often as she desired after the divorce. Now her free time was filled with lessons with Harue, Chinatsu and Madara. Those three were suddenly always there, making her feel cornered and breathless.

Izuna rolled his eyes and walked past her, "Let's go, I'll explain the mission to you on the way." was his curt response. The man decided to ignore Yuna's question completely. That wasn't her business. What concerned Madara was her business; everything else on the other hand wasn't her concern.

Gloomy, that's what Izuna sounded like. Yuna's smile didn't budge; surprisingly she was in a very good mood, which didn't happen often lately. Yuna straightened up and wiped her hands on her jacket before putting on some black gloves with cherry blossom flowers embroidered on them and running after Izuna. Yuna slowed down to Izuna's pace when she caught up with him, he gave one look at her direction before chuckling.

"This isn't a school field trip you know." He said mockingly, referring to her childish gloves.

Yuna remained in the dark for a moment before she raised her hands, "You mean the gloves? Its cold outside you know and those are surprisingly warm! If the snow is still here then it means that the temperature is below zero." Another thing that she learned from her lessons, it seemed as if she's turning into a science book.

Izuna stifled a laugh: "Are you a ninja or not? Those are mittens! How are you planning on forming seals with those?" He questioned her without much curiosity in his voice. Instead, he sounded like a father scolding his child.

Yuna pouted and chose to stare at her boots before she sighed, "Well I'll be even more useless when my fingers fall off because of the cold. You're just jealous of my beautiful gloves!"

Izuna rolled his eyes and mumbled, "As if," under his breath before stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. Indeed the weather was freezing, even if the snow was warming them.

"I'm going to start my mission tonight. I'll spy some gangs and gather information. Lastly, after a few days I will also spy on one of their meetings. They aren't a real threat to the clan, but they are slowly starting to interfere and get in the clan's way." Izuna explained to Yuna, switching the subject randomly. Nevertheless, he manages to accomplish this without being awkward. The mitten discussion was over either way. The air was freezing, but luckily, there wasn't any wind that day. Instead, everything was so white Yuna still had trouble adjusting to the brightness and tried not to open her eyes fully.

While trying to save her eyes from being burnt out, she did manage to pay attention, what Izuna said and process it as well and she found the odd error in his calculations.

"That won't take a week. It could be accomplished within three days maximum, also why am I not included in the plan…Are you plotting something or this is just your sick way to play a prank on me?" She questioned him. Izuna glanced towards her with a strange look, but it vanished moments later.

"You know Yuna…The only person, most likely in the entire world, who can spice Madara's drinks without him noticing, is me. Since he's too stubborn to take medicine I just have to force it down quietly." It sounded as if Izuna was planning to poison Madara with some foreign new drug. Yuna knew better now. He would never do something like that…He might use something more harmless.

"Did you find some creepy medicine? Are you sure that it's safe?" Yuna questioned. Izuna pushed down the urge to roll his eyes. Still, Yuna's questions only proved her worry for Madara.

"Of course it's safe. I did a whole lot of research before I chose someone to contact. The medicine is supposed to slow it down, the loss of sight if not stop Madara's sight growing worse. If it works then Madara will notice. What I am interested in is will he say anything about it?" He left the question hanging in the air. Yuna shrugged casually, trying to picture it. He would probably throw a fit before realising that it's actually good, or he will skip the rage chapter and skip right to the part where Madara thanks Izuna and everyone's happy once again. Pfft like _that _would ever happen!

"I think that he will try to kick your teeth in for trampling with his pride." She stated blatantly.

Izuna chuckled,

"Sounds like him…Did you know that when the Senju first offered a truce Madara refused, but the clan forced him to accept. Everyone's tired of fighting with the Senju."

"Are you tired as well? Or did you choose to follow your brother?"

Izuna hesitated before answering. Would she keep pestering him if he refused to answer?

"I'm exhausted, but along with everyone else I reasoned with Madara. He can't put his own desires ahead, he may be right about fighting until the Senju disappear but if he doesn't have men willing to die for that reason then it's pointless. Madara knows that but sometimes he forgets."

Yuna smiled softly while dancing on the frozen ground lightly. When she was a child, she wanted to be so light that she wouldn't leave traces on the snow. She glanced over her shoulder, giggling at their footsteps. While Izuna seemed to walk in a straight line with balanced steps, Yuna's side was chaotic with signs of her twirling and jumping around like a ballerina.

"Anyone can forget the basics sometimes. Also you still failed to enlighten me, what is my purpose here?"

"You are the one who will find the old hag to get the medicine. She can't know that it's the Uchiha that she'll be helping. So I've been writing letters with her, playing a character named Kanako. I brought copies of the letters I've exchanged with her so you could catch up. There are only about four though. That's your mission this time." Yuna could hear the hidden hope in Izuna's voice. He wanted a magic drug that would heal them appear so badly that Izuna was ready to sell his soul to the devil if needed.

Yuna's smile disappeared and was replaced by a puzzled expression. This mini-mission was something Madara will never know about.

"You're going to get caught one day because you lie so much." Izuna flexed his muscles before yawning. That was something strange, Yuna had never witnessed him show anything remotely human besides his outburst long time ago. Who would have guessed?

"Do you really have this little faith in me? I don't lie that often actually."

After a little pause, Yuna shook her head before laughing.

"Liar," she smirked, her point proven.

The edge of Izuna's mouth twitched as he tried to suppress the smile that wanted to creep onto his face. Lies, they were something no one could honestly detect. He left that thought to ponder over it later on a sleepless night.

"Let's speed up; we have to reach the town by nightfall. We'll check in the hotel before I go."

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_Greetings, _

_I would like to start by thanking you for taking the time to read this letter. My name is Ishikawa Kanako. I'm writing you because of my sister, Sanae, whose eyesight is starting to fade. Before this, she was at good health without any big problems besides an occasional cold in the winters, but even that wasn't consistent. Do you have anything to help her? She isn't blind, but her eyesight isn't sharp anymore and has turned blurry. We live quite far away, so we apologize for not coming to visit you in person, but a trip like that can be very hard. Though if you have a cure, I'm more than willing to come and pick it up. _

_Sincerely,_

_Ishikawa Kanako_

_Good Day,_

_It saddens me to hear about your sister's condition. It is indeed curious that her condition has appeared despite her being healthy her entire life. Developing a cure without seeing her in person is going to be difficult and we can only hope that it helps. It's going to need a lot of willpower and luck to beat something like that. I assume that your sister is quite young to have a problem like that. I will try my best to work on a cure, but I'm sadly positive that bringing back her eyesight to perfection may be impossible. We can try to slow it down if not stop it, but that's our best gamble. Please send me a letter after three weeks to update me on her condition, meanwhile I'll try to find a treatment for her._

_Masako_

_Good Day Masako-Sama,_

_How've you been lately? The weather has gone colder; I believe that we may see snow soon. Sanae isn't getting better at all. During this short period of time, her eyesight has gone worse. It's gone blurrier, but she said that it's barely noticeable. Even so, it's making her everyday life difficult. Have you found a cure for her? I also must know if it has any side effects. Even the minor ones count. I'm more than ready to come to you to your village. I can't stand seeing my sister suffer like that. _

_Ishikawa Kanako_

_Dear Kanako,_

_I'm glad to deliver the news that I've mixed a medicine for your sister. I can't guarantee that it will work effectively and instantly, but give it time and patience and if it doesn't work, please contact me and we'll try something else. I will be waiting you along with a payment. Drop by any time, the door is always open for those in need. _

_Masako_

Yuna finished the letters while sucking a sour lollipop. She hadn't had anything else to eat through the entire day and she was looking forward to Izuna returning because he promised to bring something good to eat for her as well.

She was on her bed, lying on her stomach with her feet bouncing against the wall repeatedly in a slow pace.

She folded the letters and stuffed them back in the envelope in which they came. So this time her role was to be Ishikawa Kanako who's worried about her sister Sanae. A sharp pain hit her when she thought about her own sister, Eiko. She couldn't do anything to save her. The blurry images that she had sealed away deep in her mind came back like a wave and suddenly the muted screams and faded lines sharpened within seconds.

With just a few short seconds, everything that she had worked so hard to bury in her chest came back. She could recall every detail from that crude day, the dry blood decorating Eiko's body wrists and feet, her thin hair and sickly grey skin and the smell that lingered in the tiny cave. In the background, the beautiful sound of a waterfall. Did it make it any more peaceful?

Most likely not.

She put the letters into a drawer near her bed. Yuna found herself needing some fresh air, and completely ignoring Izuna's warnings she opened the second-floor windows and stepped on the small balcony. The snow hurt her bare feet as she stood there in the cold. Her jaw started clacking unwillingly and her hands started to twitch on the railing. Even so she made no movement to leave.

It was her deranged logic to stand there until the pictures would freeze, until the sounds would blur and scents would be replaced with fresh air once again. In the background she could hear some men cheering in a nearby bar, celebrating their friend's birthday and countless of other small noises that were too far away to register.

The flashback had given her a headache. Yuna rubbed her temples and breathed out slowly. She was most likely going to catch a cold unless she went inside, but the plain room of the cheap hotel didn't seem very appealing in comparison with the large full moon, dark velvet skies drowned in the shining stars and a glittering silver-white world that looked as if it was brought to life from a fairytale. It seemed so mysterious. In this world, Yuna's world, there is no pain but laughter and adventures and the worst thing that could happen to you is ripping a hole in your pants or spilling some tea.

The forest in the distance was almost calling Yuna's name, asking her to go and explore her strange world tempting her to just go and leave everything, all the memories and the pain behind.

Very tempting indeed. 

**Merry Christmas everyone! I am extremely sorry for the late update . But here's a Christmas present for you :P You'll see the next chapter on the 31th =D I'd love to thank my lovely beta Fate's Design for finding time to beta 3 chapters for me even with the holidays coming up etc. (: We are a little uncoordinated but at least it's fun XD So I hope you liked this chapter and if you have the time post a little review =3?**


	30. Chapter 30

30.

"Are you sure about this?" Yuna whispered to Izuna quietly. They were walking together in the Uchiha compound. Their pace was matched and they were close together. Izuna grinned arrogantly,

"Of course I'm sure about this. It is the only way, right? We need to report the mission anyway. So after you create the diversion I'll slip the drug into his tea." He explained proudly. Yuna was a little sceptical about the plan. She was starting to have doubts about Izuna's sanity. The halls, luckily, were empty; Izuna noted that there was a gathering in one of the gardens so it was easy to create a disturbance.

Yuna shook her head; Madara was going to notice that something is up. Nevertheless, Yuna sprinted off quietly while masking her chakra with a small basket clutched between her fingers. She stopped near the garden in an empty hallway and opened the basket. The black snake looked back and hissed. Yuna snorted.

"Nasty creature." She mumbled before dumping the snake on the ground.

"Off you go." Yuna whispered and left quickly before anyone came by.

Madara's office wasn't far from the garden and she was back at Izuna's side in no time. Before getting there, she hid the basket under the wooden floors of the compound. The plan seemed so idiotic and simplistic to her, but Izuna insisted that the simplest plan is also the most effective. So Yuna complied quietly since she didn't have much say in this.

She knocked on Madara's office door before stepping in.

Empty.

Izuna was standing there with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out if he mixed up the days or something.

"I don't get it, it looks as if he hasn't been here the entire day, but after Chinatsu came here he's been working late. Did you release the snake?" Izuna glanced at Yuna who looked like all blood had drained from her face. Chinatsu's name triggered a memory.

"Holy shit…Madara's going to kill me!" She shouted before grabbing Izuna's hand and dragging him out of the office.

"What's the matter?" Izuna asked surprisingly calmly, but he was still a little confused.

"It's their fucking wedding party tonight! Remember, they were supposed to get married today!" She shouted at the younger brother. Out of all the people, he should've remembered such a small detail but apparently, Madara didn't really care if Izuna was there or not. After that revelation, Izuna started with surprise and grinned widely.

"Oh this is going to be hilarious…," he mumbled. As if the snake was aware of its cue, a few seconds later Yuna heard someone scream "SNAKE!" At the top of their lungs. Yuna let go of Izuna's hand just as they reached the gardens. Most of the women were shouting as the snake slithered on the grass. Apparently, before the celebrations some Uchiha men had used a fire jutsu to melt the snow.

Madara, who looked bored a moment ago, looked beyond furious when he spotted Yuna and Izuna standing there. Chinatsu's polite smile she wore in public melted and was replaced with surprise before she started to giggle. Madara's eyes trailed to her, "This is certainly an interesting turn of events." She said laughing and covered her mouth with her palm to hide her smile.

It didn't ease his morbid rage. Through the entire day, he had been in a bad mood, but this was really the straw that broke the camel's back, or in his case the angry Uchiha leader that broke the back of the person foolish enough to do something like this. He pulled out a kunai from his sleeve and threw it at the snake, driving it right through the poor thing's head. He jumped over to the dead snake and picked it up before bowing to, Yuna's heart skipped a beat, the head of Senju Clan, Harashima Senju. Madara apologized and promised to be right back. He walked through the crowd that slowly started to chatter again, trying to break the awkward silence.

He slapped the dead snake into Izuna's empty hands and grabbed Yuna by the arm and dragged her away with him, Izuna followed behind them quietly while trying to keep his smile contained. Yuna on the other hand was frightened. The entire plan was idiotic, beyond stupid and she was going to pay.

Yuna looked over her shoulder to Izuna who was playing with the dead snake. He either didn't notice or decided to ignore Yuna. The girl suspected the latter.

Madara kicked the door of his office open and nearly threw Yuna inside, who missed crashing into the table by mere centimetres. He waited until Izuna had dragged himself in as well before closing the door and turning to them slowly.

"May I ask, what the HELL you were thinking? The god damn Senju were there and if they think that this was an assassination attempt then I will gladly skin you in front of them if that will satisfy them!" He roared, causing Yuna to unconsciously shrink closer to the ground. Even Izuna flinched, but remained silent.

Madara was still waiting for a response. Yuna's eyes shifted from the floor to Izuna who was still petting the dead lizard. Disturbingly creepy in her eyes, even if it was Izuna.

"Izuna found the snake on the way back from a store, and thought about keeping it so we brought it back. While we were heading to your celebration party I remembered that we have to bring the mission report to your desk so we headed back, and we might've left the basket there unattended…" Her voice trailed off. Madara's mouth curled into a smirk.

"Oh and where's the report? I don't see it on my table." He noted. Izuna smiled and fetched a scroll from his coat and threw it to Madara who caught it easily.

"Can I go now? I'm kind of hungry." He said with a whiny tone. Madara's mood hadn't improved at all, and as such he felt tempted to ignore Izuna completely even if it would be fruitless because his carefree brother would leave with or without his consent.

"Get out." He muttered to Izuna who didn't need to be told again. The door closed, leaving Yuna to drown in an awkward silence with Madara.

"Are you going to say something soon?" Madara asked curtly. Yuna sighed inwardly, his voice didn't sound so angry anymore, just a little irritated.

She wanted to say something to him, really badly but nothing popped up in her mind. Madara sighed and walked out leaving there in his office alone. It was obvious he wasn't as mad anymore or he was just going to think about it later because otherwise he would have stayed and forced her to apologize.

Yuna remained there with a bitter smile on her lips. Madara had left to go to his wife. The bastard was a two-timer but who was the 'other woman' was still unclear.

She left his office and took a longer route back to her room so she wouldn't have to pass the party. After all the older women would start to gossip how it is bad luck when the ex-wife shows up.

Even Harue was sleeping when she got to her room. She sighed and crawled under the covers and tried to sleep, hoping to drift back into the snowy wonderland she saw almost a week ago.

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"Madara I'm begging you don't accept that offer!" Shouted Izuna, smashing his palms on the table. Madara leaned back in his chair, displeased.

"We need money; I can't have the clan starve!" Izuna crossed his hands on his chest.

"You know very well that after that battle you won't see anymore! I know how bad your eyesight is already, and after this you will never see daylight again!" The winter was hard every year. This year wasn't an exception and Izuna wasn't going to let his brother throw away his sight for money. They could survive the winter, just as they did every other year.

"Are you implying that I should put myself ahead of the clan? If you don't support me then I will just replace you with another team captain. You can stay here if you want, but the rest are going." Izuna snorted and shook his head.

"Fine, but I am not going to lift a finger to help you with this _idiotic and impulsive _battle!"

Izuna stormed out of the office and slammed the door shut. He left the compound and no one saw him for the rest of the day.

Yuna heard later in the day that Izuna had left.

It was Yuna who had a hunch about where he could be. She left the compound, even though it was prohibited. Yuna wasn't planning to go far; all she was going to do was visit her home. She climbed over the wall, remaining unnoticed before she sprinted away from the compound.

It took her only twenty minutes to reach the empty mansion of Kunisada. As expected, the building was freezing because no one had been there for weeks. There were dry leaves mixed with snow and dust everywhere. Overall, the building looked horrible.

She could sense Izuna's chakra from the second floor, in one of the meeting rooms. She hastily climbed up to the second floor and walked in the room to find it completely destroyed. Only bits and pieces were left of the table and walls that used to be there. In the middle of all that stood Izuna. His breathing was calm like always.

He didn't even open his eyes to acknowledge Yuna.

"Are you satisfied, for now? This is a big house; you can destroy another room if you want to." She suggested lightly. Izuna opened his eyes and chuckled.

"What I want to do is break every bone in Madara's body so he wouldn't be able to go to war for months, if not a year. That way both of us would be happier that way. Even if he doesn't know it yet."

Yuna sighed and leaned against the pillar, "How bad is it? Have you made him take the medicine? It's been almost a month already." Izuna shook his head with a bitter smile.

"It's not working. I've been taking it as well. Madara's so tense right now that he will most likely use his eyes more than necessary, and this time will also be the last."

He paused for a moment before smiling to Yuna,

"I know that this may be difficult, but please go with him. He's most likely to prideful to let anyone know about his blindness right away, so I'm asking you to help him as much as possible…and when he gets back…I will give him my light."

Yuna sighed before smiling. She knew that Izuna most likely couldn't really see it.

"I can't imagine how hard that decision could've been, but please don't think that your life will be over because of that. You can still help Madara, help the clan. Heck you can even fight considering your skill, but one thing is certain; this clan will get a whole lot messier. Your ways to obtain the eyes are disgusting enough, but if this leaks out that there are ways to avoid going blind …" Izuna grinned widely. It almost seemed sadistic, amused.

"So be it. This clan has a history drenched in blood already." Yuna smiled sadly. She was about to leave when Izuna stopped her,

"Also, if you die in that battle, I will make sure to bring you back from the dead and I will break you." He threatened with a kind smile. Yuna's eyebrow twitched and she pulled her hand away from Izuna.

"I was serious when I said that you can smash another room if you want to," said Yuna who almost felt amused. There was no way that she could or would live in this house again. Izuna snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You're an idiot. Sell this place or make it an inn."

"Oh what and hide everything in the libraries in my measly Uchiha compound closet? Hell no, I'll most likely let this place rot. As long as I'm alive this place and land belongs to me so they can't tear it down."

Izuna snorted and walked away from her, "Idiot." he mumbled to himself.

Yuna easily climbed over the old stone walls and landed softly on the snowy ground. She sensed for anyone close by, but didn't find any chakra. Yuna felt relieved, because she wasn't sure if the Uchiha men or women would stay silent if they saw her climbing over the walls like that. She still stayed low while tiptoeing between the woods.

"What are you doing here?" A yelp escaped Yuna's lips. She turned around and found Chinatsu leaning against one of the trees with a polite smile. She was dressed warmly; most likely Chinatsu was exploring the woods that the Uchiha owns.

_How could I miss her? _Yuna thought frantically. During that train of thoughts, she kept a smile on her face.

"I went to talk to Izuna since after they had a fight he hasn't come back. I felt worried because they've never fought like that…Please don't mention this to anyone because the people here don't think well of me and I could be in deep trouble if it's revealed that I left the grounds alone." Her voice was almost pleading, because Yuna had no idea how to cover herself if this came out.

Chinatsu's smile dropped, "How is he? Izuna, I mean. I tried to talk to Madara but he has been ignoring everyone today." Yuna frowned and shook her head.

"Izuna's not much better. He did talk to me, but not about what's bothering him. I just hope that he comes home soon." Chinatsu smiled and sighed.

"I wish I could see my brother more often. I have absolutely nothing to do here and my new bodyguard is so stern and stoic as well." She complained with a sigh. Yuna could relate with the woman, the days of boredom were sluggish and felt like a waste of time.

"Read something maybe?" She suggested to the mistress. Chinatsu blinked a few times before she started to laugh.

"I'm sorry," she said between laughs, "I've just read so much that I will go insane if I see another book!"

Yuna grinned, "Oh I can imagine. It'll take some time to cover and memorise the grounds so you can occupy your time with that maybe?" Yuna suggested. Chinatsu sighed and shrugged.

"I am expected to be productive. I thought about helping Madara with his paperwork that he neglects because my second task is to get pregnant but I can't do that every day!" Yuna felt a guilty pang in her stomach.

"No, you probably can't…May I be excused? Or if you want me to stay I can." Chinatsu smiled and shook her head.

"Oh no you go and make yourself useful, no need to waste your time on me." Yuna bowed and jogged away. She knew exactly where to go. There were quite a lot of people in the halls, it was lunchtime, and also because Madara was ignoring everyone so no one got their paperwork signed.

They paid no mind to Yuna as she zigzagged through the crowds. She knocked on Madara's office door, and stood there for a little while to see if he'll let her in on his own. After a minute, she got too impatient and stepped inside.

Madara was sleeping in the corner with a pillow under his head that Yuna had never seen before. She suspected that there was some secret panel in the room where Madara hid all his secret items like candy, pillows and pink things so people would see him as the never sleeping invincible tough man. Frankly, it was working very well.

Yuna tip toed closer to him. Madara looked like an innocent kid there with his hair sprawled around his head like a fan. Madara, when he wasn't frowning or taunting anyone, looked tired. He was sleep deprived and almost lived on soldier pills.

So Yuna, instead of waking him up laid down right next to him, careful not to touch him and closed her eyes to wait until he wakes up.

When she was about to fall asleep Yuna felt like someone was watching her. She opened her eyes slowly to see Madara staring back to her.

"That's dangerous to fall asleep in that position you know," he noted and pulled Yuna closer and stroked her hair. She didn't mind being close to him because he was warmer than the floor.

"You've been ignoring everyone; I even snuck out of the compound to talk to Izuna." Madara's eyebrow rose but the air around him remained calm.

"Oh, and what did he say?"

To tell the truth, or not.

"Nothing much to be honest, told me to turn the old compound into an inn or sell it. Also I've decided to come with you to the battle thing you're having soon."

Madara's hand stopped and Yuna's stomach went cold.

"Why?"

He was going to find out anyway, so there was no point to keep a secret.

"Because I know that you will go blind after this battle, and I highly doubt that you want everyone to find out like that. So I'll be there to support you whether you like it or not." Madara sighed and leaned back.

"You talk too much," he said, "and I didn't want you to find out either. It's not your problem to deal with." Yuna looked up to his dark eyes, wondering if he can still see her in the dark. Most likely, he couldn't see anything and that's the reason Madara decided to sleep.

"Well now it is. So it's alright with you if I come too? Because to be honest I'm kind of hungry and I don't want to miss lunch." Yuna said and pushed herself into a sitting position. She heard Madara chuckle.

"Go ahead, eat as much as you like." Yuna grinned and kissed him on the lips before she went to get up. Only Madara wasn't going to let her leave that easily and held her firmly in place.

"But I want food," she whined. Madara smirked at her childish voice. He could imagine the look on her face.

"If you stay here with me for fifteen minutes I'll let you go eat, and as a bonus I'll come out and talk." Yuna pouted and sighed.

"Fine, but let me lock the door first. I really don't want to worry about someone walking in on us." She said and pulled away from Madara. She skipped to the door lightly and locked it before she straddled Madara with a small giggle.

"My turn," she whispered into his ear.

**As promised, a chapter to end 2011. Where I live there's still 6 hours left until 2012, but to all of you HAPPY NEW YEARS! I hope this year I'll write more chapters that will be better because you are such wonderful readers and deserve way more than this ^.^ I hope 2012 is a better year for everyone so DO YOUR BEST! **


	31. Chapter 31

31.

Blood dripped from the blade of Yuna's kunai that was still loosely clasped between her fingers. When it fell, Yuna couldn't hear it hitting the ground. She sighed; sweat, mixed with her own blood dripped from her forehead. The battleground reeked and she wanted to leave as fast as possible.

The opponent this time was a bit tougher than her own clan was, even the Uchiha lost quite a lot of ninja. It was unusual but not unheard of. She slowly started walking to where everyone was gathering. She had to find Madara; that fact was slowly starting to appear in her mind. She cringed at the sensation of blood flowing between her toes every time she took a step. Far ahead Yuna saw Harue who was helping the sensor ninjas find those who were still alive.

Madara was nowhere to be found. Something inside of her said that it was intentional. Her clothes were sticking to her body because of the blood. It made her want to rip them off. She stopped a man who was walking aimlessly, looking a little confused.

"Have you seen Madara?" She asked, surprised that her voice came out so fragile. The man shook his head before he left her. Yuna couldn't summon enough chakra or willpower in her to try to find him. It would look suspicious after all; it's not her job to be glued to Madara's side in the eyes of the public. Yuna was quite sure that the man was hiding somewhere, trying to cope with his new situation, even though a proud man like him will never accept it.

Part of her didn't want to go back because all hell would break loose. Izuna and Madara have to trade quickly. They can explain it later to the heads.

She sat on the untouched grass that was away from the battlefield. Yuna leaned on her palms and her head was tilted on her right. Her lips moved just slightly while forming words of a song she used to sing as a child.

It was about a lark that lost its way home. It never found its way back.

"Yuna, are you okay?" Her eyes snapped up to Harue's worried face. She formed a smile and rose from the grass, not bothering to brush off the dirt.

"I forgot myself, are we finally moving?" She asked and Harue nodded. His eyes moved to the small wound on Yuna's forehead worriedly, the cut was noticeable because her hair was pulled back.

"Yes, Madara finally showed up. He only told us to gather everything and start moving back home. It's too cold to treat the wounded here." The clouded look in Yuna's eyes disappeared. She thanked Harue quickly before hurrying to Madara, who was isolated from the group.

He was standing near the edge of the field with his back facing everyone else. Madara's hands were tucked in his pockets to keep them warm.

It felt like an eternity, but finally Yuna was right next to him. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to witness the sight of dismembered and mutilated bodies.

"How are your eyes?" She asked quietly. Madara's finger twitched and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

"It feels like they're burning…it feels like someone is stabbing them with needles." He muttered. Yuna noticed that he hadn't suffered many injuries, only a few light cuts while she had a gaping wound on her arm, a small cut on her forehead because one of the enemies hit her head with the handle of his sword and some small cuts on her legs and torso. She wasn't sure if her head was bleeding anymore or not, she was hoping for the latter.

She didn't question him further. Madara was tough; he could handle physical pain, but what he couldn't handle that well was mental pain.

Those who weren't carrying the injured were already heading back as one group.

"You smell like blood," noted Madara with a dazed voice. The frosty wind brushed past them, sharply stabbing their cheeks.

"It's nothing," she assured him, "but let's go back, or you might catch a cold." Yuna's fingers softly and discreetly directed Madara, but it remained unnoticed to the others. He sighed before conjuring a blank expression, it was the best he could do in his position. There weren't many seriously injured men, only seven and they were carried by those who suffered minimal to no injury. Yuna and Madara followed them quietly. The men in front of them chattered cheerfully. It was their way to stay sane.

They completed the job, which meant that the winter was going to be a pleasure for the Uchiha.

"Was it worth it?" Yuna asked quietly. It was a question that was bugging her. She didn't sound sad, not even disturbed. Yuna was only curious, and nothing else. He didn't want her of all people to pity her; Madara didn't want anyone's pity.

For the first time in many years, Madara found himself unable to answer. He could smoothly talk himself out of any situation with a few well picked words, but he couldn't lie to himself or Yuna.

The corner of Yuna's lips twitched. She felt so disgusted with herself, because she knew that Madara was in pain and a small part of her couldn't wait for Izuna to give up his light. Anything was fine if it made Madara better, made him better and fixed him. That was all she was asking for.

Yuna bit her lip and dug her nails into her palms. She needed a distraction, anything to give her time to bury those thoughts.

"Are you hurt?" Madara asked suddenly. Yuna smiled, forgetting that he can't see.

"I only have a few cuts here and there. I'll have someone look at them when we get back." She assured him. Madara sighed and nodded his head. Yuna wanted to touch him so badly. Even if it meant holding his hand.

She saw her vision blur a little. Yuna tried to hold back the tears but if was useless. They streaked her face and fell onto the ground where they disappeared into the thin layer of snow.

"You know that I will always be here for you, right?" She asked Madara with a shaky voice. Yuna had to stay strong for Madara's sake.

A small smile appeared on Madara's lips.

"I know."

Those words were followed by a dull ache that remained in her chest.

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"You must know something!"

Yuna's eyes didn't shift from the teacup in her hands. It was steaming and it hurt a little to hold it. Even then, it was much more interesting to her than Chinatsu at that moment.

"No, I don't know about Madara's whereabouts and plans. Why should I know?" Yuna replied calmly and placed the cup down. It started to burn quite bad. Her head was wrapped with gauze and her cuts were cleaned and stitched. Madara returned with everyone and disappeared moments later. Izuna explained that he had some business to attend.

Chinatsu's lips twitched.

"Don't give me that look. You know everything about him!" She was almost shouting already. It really must've bothered Chinatsu. Yuna wasn't sure if Chinatsu felt hurt or annoyed about Madara.

A smile wanted to creep on Yuna's lips. She wouldn't be lying if she said, "I don't know about Madara's current whereabouts and plans." Yuna could only guess that they maybe went to her past home.

"To be honest I know nothing about him. Madara's complicated…I'm not sure if anyone besides Izuna can truly understand him." Yuna's voice was quiet and her lips moved slowly. What she wanted was sleep but ended up in Chinatsu's room to be grilled for information her mind does not possess.

Chinatsu sighed, suddenly her entire body relaxed.

"Go, sleep…you look like you're about to faint."

Finally, Chinatsu gave up. Yuna thanked her for the tea politely before leaving the room hurriedly. She closed the door and rubbed her eyes that were threatening to seal themselves shut. Yuna's mind was slowly shutting down already. She didn't want to hear or see anything anymore. Slowly, dragging her feet behind her, Yuna made her way through the cold corridors. With each step, her bed was coming closer. That's how you live, one step at a time to reach a goal.

"You look tired."

Yuna was too tired to even yelp when Harue suddenly picked her up. She went limp between his arms and rested her head against his chest.

"Stupid… put me down..." She muttered weakly. Harue stopped and put his forearm against Yuna's forehead. It felt so cold. He held it there before sighing.

"No I won't, you're burning up. What you have to do is rest."

Rest meant sleep, it sounded wonderful for Yuna. Sleep meant escaping to a world she could rule. There would be nothing in there besides the deep blue sky, soft green grass, white clouds and a breeze. The only sound she could hear would be the wind.

Quietly she dozed off. Harue sighed and opened the door of their room with his foot. He laid Yuna under the covers and tucked her in. Harue was tired like Yuna, but he still left and came back with some cold water and gauze. He put the wet cloth on her forehead and watched how she muttered in her sleep when the unwanted object touched her skin. Harue chuckled and shook his head before he kicked off his shoes and lay down in his bed. It took the captain only a few seconds before sleep consumed him.

He also had a nice dream, a dream where he was sitting in the Uchiha gardens. It was spring again, but the cherry blossom trees hadn't bloomed yet. He was sitting on the grass; it was surprisingly warm for spring. Harue didn't understand why, but he remained motionless on the ground.

"What are you doing here all alone?" Asked a familiar voice. Harue didn't hear Yuna coming or moving but in a split second, she was right next to him. A smile was on her pink lips and her eyes had a cheerful spark in them. She was barefoot and dressed in a light pink yukata.

Harue smiled nervously before answering, "I was thinking about you actually," he replied shyly, carefully watching her reaction.

Yuna looked surprised for a moment and her cheeks turned red, something Harue witnessed for the very first time, and he had to admit that she looked cute.

She smiled softly, "I'm flattered," Yuna said before she leaned in cautiously. Harue relaxed when her lips touched his. They were as warm and soft as he imagined…

"Harue…" he heard someone call. No, he didn't want to wake up just yet. Yuna pulled away and sighed. Her finger softly caressed his cheek, "You have to wake up," she whispered.

"Harue!" The man woke up with a jump. He instinctively looked to his left where Yuna was still sleeping peacefully. Someone knocked on the door again. Harue sighed and got up quickly and opened the door to find Shinjiro there.

"Sorry to wake you up, but the news is being passed around that Izuna has lost his light. I suggest you tell Yuna when she wakes up." Harue was shocked, Shinjiro didn't explain it further and left hastily. He couldn't believe it; Izuna seemed just fine when he last saw him. Everything around was quiet, and dark. He could only guess that it was past midnight already.

Harue closed the door and went back to Yuna and changed the gauze on her forehead. He stopped for a second and shook his head. Having a dream like that was not allowed. She was Madara's and only his. Madara didn't share power or women.

With that established he could go back to sleep.

The rest of his night wasn't so calm anymore, and that nice dream from before showed no signs of returning.

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After a few days, Yuna was already feeling better. She was moved from her room to the hospital ward just in case her fever was caused by an infection. Luckily, that was not the case and all that the woman needed was some peace and quiet. They released her in the morning a couple days later after she had eaten her breakfast.

Yuna went straight to her room and stayed there. She sat under the warm covers, trailing the pattern on the sheets with her finger. Yuna hadn't heard anything about Madara or Izuna yet and she was afraid to even leave the room to find out. Harue was sent out on a mission the day before. He notified her before leaving.

She spent the rest of the day in bed, not moving and inch and keeping warm.

Yuna wasn't ready yet, she wasn't ready to face the world so soon. Just one more day of peace and she would be fine.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Madara on the other hand was overloaded with emotions that he tried to suppress. He could see again, better than ever. It was clear, and as painful as it was, they found a solution to the fading light. He placed the candle on the table with a shaky hand. Izuna was still sleeping, recovering from the pain he insisted on. Madara figured out the day before that they were located in the Kunisada residence. He didn't feel the urge to explore the lonesome, abandoned corridors. It was grim and cold already, any warmth that may have been here left with the owners. He had brought some blankets for Izuna from other bedrooms because starting a fire would betray his location.

The place was isolated from the rest of the world. It was a perfect place to hide in and to sort out thoughts. They never agreed on the explanation. Izuna insisted on telling the truth because it was voluntary after all while Madara demanded to think out a story because even if Izuna says that he wanted to do this, there will be people who'll think otherwise. Madara's position wasn't shaky yet, after all, they were on good terms with the Senju.

Madara's finger twitched. He completely forgot that he left Chinatsu in the compound, without any explanations or a 'goodbye'. What pained his heart the most was Yuna. He didn't know anything about her and she was probably worried and alone as well.

Madara sighed and rubbed his forehead worriedly. This was going to be a huge mess once he got back.

Izuna moved in his sleep and mumbled something. For a second Madara thought that Izuna will wake up, but he remained motionless under the covers with his eyes bandaged. It was strange to see Izuna without his mischievous grin and childish jokes. Madara couldn't see Izuna recovering from this one hundred percent, but Izuna wasn't one to give up that easily, he would learn to fight even when blind and would remain in his position.

A small part of him hoped that Yuna would sneak out to visit him, but she was prohibited to leave and that made it unlikely.

Madara counted the passing seconds, becoming more restless with each passing one. He needed something to do, something to punch.

The thought of destroying one of the rooms in the house was appealing, but he didn't feel like it would do any good. He needed something _real_ to punch, something that wouldn't be completely destroyed with the first hit.

"Could you find me something to eat and tea" came a grouchy voice from under the covers, "and maybe some candy if you can find any."

Izuna had a small smile on his lips. He didn't regret anything, it was his decision. Madara couldn't help but to grin and shake his head.

"I'll see what I can find," Madara replied, trying not to roll his eyes, "You stay here and don't move."

Izuna waved his hand nonchalantly, "Yeah-yeah, but can you at least tell me what room is this?"

Madara didn't think long, he often had to remember buildings after just catching a glimpse and this one wasn't any different, "Second floor, right hand hall and the third door. It was probably a dining room."

Izuna nodded and yawned, "Copy that, if the food in the kitchen is no good go to the basement, they had some stuff there as well last time I checked."

Madara closed the door and walked downstairs wondering how often Izuna came there. In the past few weeks, Izuna had the habit of disappearing, but now it made sense. Madara found the kitchen without any problems, the only thing that disturbed him was how dirty everything was.

He started to look through the drawers to find anything that's remotely useful. Madara couldn't suppress his amused smirk when he found a cup that had Yuna's name on it. It was written by a child; the kanji were crooked and looked just a little sloppy. He placed the cup back into the shelf carefully as if it were his most prized possession.

After a few minutes, he managed to find a teapot and some dishes for Izuna. Madara left everything on the table and walked to what he hoped to be the basement door. He tried it, and found it to be unlocked.

It felt strange, almost abnormal, to see so well in the dark. He turned on the light and looked around to find some dried meat, green tea and, much to his shock, candy as well.

It didn't take him long to find some water, boil it and make tea and get everything to Izuna. Madara snorted when he found Izuna walking around the room, stretching himself.

"You get back in bed; I found everything you asked for." Madara ordered sternly. Izuna mockingly mimicked his brother before sitting down on the pile of blankets. Madara placed the tray next to Izuna who touched the edge with his finger before going straight to the candy.

He put one in his mouth, enjoying the taste. Madara watched all of it carefully, taking in every detail because he was frightened that any moment from now his eyesight could disappear again.

"Hey Madara," Izuna grinned, "take over the world with those eyes for me."

**My last day of freedom T.T…I'm happy to let you know that I've finished the 32nd chapter and already mailed it to my precious Dantella to beta (: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I hope your 2012 started with a BANG =D **


	32. Chapter 32

32.

The next day Izuna and Madara returned, side-by-side looking neutral as ever. Even when blind, Izuna still managed to keep his grin on. They came around four in the morning so no one was up besides the guards. Izuna yawned loudly and stretched his fingers.

"I think that I'm going to go and sleep some more, you go and get your paperwork done." Madara tried not to cringe. Just the idea of sitting behind the desk for hours doing nothing but signing documents was disturbing. An idea sparked in his mind and instead of going straight to his office Madara decided to take a small detour. He remained alert the entire time to make sure that no one would see him. Stealthily he made his way through the dark hallways. The candles weren't lit until six in the morning.

He slid the door open quietly and locked it behind him. Madara wasn't surprised that Harue was out; the captain was a strong man and keeping him away from the fields would be a waste of talent.

Yuna's breathing was quiet and slow, but it was rhythmic and even. It gave Madara a feeling of comfort. Yuna's breathing was something he could predict, something he could even control to a certain extent. She wasn't going to change anytime soon.

He was so deep in thought that Madara didn't notice a pair of sleepy eyes looking up to him.

"You can see again."

The corner of Madara's mouth twitched when his train of thoughts was abruptly ended. Yuna sat up carefully, her eyes never leaving Madara. She didn't dare to touch him or talk to him, afraid that it will break the comfortable air around them.

"How can you tell?"

His voice lacked the anger that Yuna was so afraid of. She leaned closer to him, her fingertips touching his warm cheek.

"You look balanced. Just a week ago you looked as if you were losing control." Yuna pulled her hand back but Madara caught it. His hand was freezing, but Yuna didn't pull away.

"You," he said with a sigh, "are still so foolish."

Madara smiled to her in a way that made Yuna's heart beat faster. It wasn't the feeling of love, but happiness.

"I missed you." She whispered quietly, and slowly Yuna moved closer to him and rested her head on Madara's chest.

His hand wrapped around her shoulders protectively. He didn't want to leave her all alone in the dark room. Madara wanted to laugh at the irony. When they were together, it was forced and now suddenly when they are forbidden to be together both parts long for it.

"Were you ill recently?" Madara asked suddenly. A foreign scent was floating around Yuna and Madara couldn't figure out its origins until now. It was the smell of the ward. Yuna smiled nonchalantly, trying to brush it off.

"It wasn't anything serious, I just had a fever. They let me rest there for a few days and told me to take it easy for a few weeks." Madara planted a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Alright then, you go back to bed, stay warm and eat plenty. It's not good to catch anything weird during the cold months." The smile on her lips didn't budge when Madara he gave Yuna one last look before he left her all alone in the darkness once more.

Yuna wished to kiss him with all her heart, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to contain herself, just like an alcoholic can't stop after taking that one drink. Yuna got back under the covers and she fell into a dreamless sleep almost instantly.

"She's like a phantom."

Madara raised his eyes from the papers on his desk with a questioning look. Izuna pranced into his office and closed the door behind him.

"Yuna's like your phantom. She stays in the background and no one really notices her yet she's the person who possesses all the knowledge."

Madara's chair creaked as he leaned back with a smug grin on his lips. Wasting time and walking in circles, Izuna almost specialised in that area. He could talk for hours and not really reveal anything important.

"Izuna, that's called a book, not a phantom." He observed amusedly how his little brother cringed like a small child and huffed.

"You never were an artistic child." Izuna mused and wandered around the office. He touched a delicate figurine of a tiger, a gift from a lord from the deserts, and made its head fall off with a loud crash. Without even wincing Izuna's fingers found a white flower. Madara sighed and with a dramatic motion signed another document and put it aside.

"Is there a particular reason you came to bother me and destroy my belongings?" Madara asked with that same impatient tone he used on anyone who was around him longer than a minute. People generally bothered him while he was busy, which was all the time, and Izuna was on an entire different level of annoyance.

Izuna put the flower he had been touching back into the vase smoothly. Nothing fell, cracked, chipped or dissolved. A record, Madara thought mockingly.

"Yes, Chinatsu will come by soon and you have to talk things straight with her."

Madara's hand stopped for a moment, but the scribbling sound returned soon enough. He slammed yet another document on the continuously growing pile violently and put his pen down.

"Do we have a story set or am I telling her the truth?" He asked without sounding the least bit curious. Izuna made his way to Madara's desk and leaned on it with a grim expression. He dodged the small paper ball Madara flicked in his direction with a sly smile. That man was probably a devil in disguise.

"You'll tell her the truth, there's no point in lying anyway. Not to her at least but you have to make sure she stays silent." Madara didn't hold his groan back.

"I might as well send a detailed letter to my dearest pen-pal Hashirama." Madara retorted with an are-you-an-idiot look on his face. It didn't matter that Izuna could no longer see, he still could visualise in his head what Madara looked like. He picked up the pen again to finish some more paperwork before he loses his mood completely.

"So both of you can have a sleepover, braid each other's hair and talk about gouging out eyes!" Izuna replied with a dreamy voice, hugging himself while making a kissing face.

Madara snapped his pen in half with a grossed grimace.

"If you don't get out of my sight in the next five seconds I can guarantee you that there will be some broken bones involved." He pressed through gritted teeth.

He could curse his little brother to the deepest pits of hell for acting so naturally. A tear, a scream, an insult… _Any other _reaction besides goofing around. To Madara, it felt as if he had given up his eyes. The guilt was eating him inside.

Izuna chuckled and waltzed to the door, swinging it open dramatically: "Not yours I hope? I won't take over your paperwork when you break your fingers."

Madara couldn't hear Izuna run away; his little brother was too stealthy for that. He got up to close the office door but Chinatsu beat him to it. She closed the door and locked it behind her, a disapproving frown on her face and her blood red lips curved into a scowl.

All of a sudden signing the endless mountain of papers seemed increasingly appealing. After all, he only had to write his signature.

"Well…well you finally made it home." Chinatsu formed the words slowly, making them sting. Madara sat on the edge of his table and nodded while inwardly cringing.

"I have to apologize but things have been hectic lately. You may ask me anything you want to know and I'll answer it all truthfully."

Madara held his composure like he always did around Chinatsu, even while apologizing. He couldn't smack her around like Yuna because Chinatsu reported straight to the Senju.

A strange silence fell between them along with a staring competition. Chinatsu snorted and shook her head with a small smile.

"You promise?" She asked playfully.

Madara released the breath that he was holding with relief. She was probably far from being pleased, but it was enough for now.

"How about going out for dinner at seven? It'll be more private and I'm sure you want to get out of here as well."

Chinatsu didn't mask her surprise or her joy. She almost skipped over to Madara and planted a small kiss on his lips. Unlike Yuna's kiss this seemed too…formal…forced. The sweet alluring scent of Chinatsu's perfume hit Madara like a tsunami. It fit the woman perfectly.

"Wonderful, I'll leave you to work then." Chinatsu walked out there with a smile on her lips and a small girly excitement in her chest, so far so good.

Madara remained seated behind his desk for the rest of the day, trying to catch up with his stupid papers. It gave him a perfect excuse to avoid talking to anyone.

The hours flew by and soon it was evening. Madara finished all of his work by precisely six thirty. He made a mental note to drop all of the signed papers to their owners tomorrow. Madara blew out the candle on his desk and locked his office before heading to his room.

Madara had almost forgotten that nearly a week had passed since he slept there.

The compound looked beautiful in the dim light with lit candles and a huge heap of snow. It looked quite romantic in Madara's eyes.

"Girls love this kind of stuff." He muttered to himself.

Since Madara had a bit more than twenty minutes left he decided to inform Izuna that he's leaving. He scanned the compound and wasn't surprised to sense Izuna's chakra in his room.

He didn't bother to knock and stepped in. Izuna was on the bed, his head hanging upside-down. Madara's stomach lurched when he saw the white bandage that covered Izuna's, now hollow, eye sockets.

"Oh my Madara, you seem to be alive. Chinatsu felt really angry when she came to your office." Izuna turned on his stomach and his trademark smile appeared. Madara stepped inside and slid the door close before sitting on the ground, in front of Izuna.

"Well she fell for my magnificent charms and agreed to go out on dinner where she can interrogate all she wants." Madara boasted jokingly. Before his marriages he was very popular among women. It was strange not to bring home a new woman every other night. After meeting Yuna he began to change from that cold person with no respect to someone more…human. Around Yuna he could feel free because she understood him. Yuna was the second person who could see what Madara wants, the first person being Izuna. The two shared the skill see all his faults and still like him.

"What are you going to do about your women, Madara?" Izuna asked, dropping the smile and turning the warm air chilly in a heartbeat. Madara hated that ability. Izuna could be so cheerful and after one blink he could drop the act.

"What do you mean?" Madara knew damn well what Izuna was talking about.

"This can't go on forever. You will be caught and Yuna will be executed or kicked out." Madara gritted his teeth, holding back the urge to punch a hole in the floor. Izuna seemed to notice that and he chuckled.

"If you're really that angry go and trash a room in the Kunisada residence. Yuna doesn't really mind as long as you don't start looking through anything." Madara rolled his eyes and poked Izuna's forehead.

"Idiot, I'm not going to destroy what belongs to her. About the two-wife thing…There is a possibility to escape that. It can only happen when Chinatsu requests a divorce. It can't be me because the Senju would take offence, but if Chinatsu herself goes to Hashirama and tells his dear brother that she wants to come home it just might work."

"The chances of that happening are nonexistent you know that right?"

"It's not impossible; it just needs some time, lots of luck, patience and the right scenario."

"Why did you come here anyway?"

Madara got up smoothly, "To tell you that I'm going out, just in case anyone is looking for me."

He wasn't angry at Izuna, but more like angry at the world. When things didn't go the way Madara liked he got pissed off and then he'd start plotting.

There was no need to think about which woman to choose emotionally, but Madara wasn't an emotional person. Most of his decisions were based on cold logic and that helped him through life. Logic never failed him, but women were anything but logical.

Madara sighed and tried to forget it for the time being because he had a wife to please.

He knocked on his bedroom door before entering so if Chinatsu were naked she could jump somewhere.

Quite the opposite, she was fully dressed, facing the mirror with her back to the door. He stood there, hiding his amazement behind a smug smirk.

Chinatsu looked stunning wearing a red silk dress that hugged her body.

Madara saw her smile in the mirror. Her lips were red as usually, it suited the woman.

"You look stunning." He paid her a compliment. A smile adorned her face that clearly showed that she was very well aware of her qualities.

"Thank you sweet heart. Shall we go?" She said smoothly, offering her hand. Madara noted how long her fingernails had grown. He took it and together they left the compound.

"Where are we dining exactly?" She asked curiously. Madara had thought about it. At first he thought of taking her to the restaurant he once took Yuna because the food was really good there, but that just seemed wrong so he decided to visit a different traditional restaurant.

"That is a closely guarded secret love," Chinatsu's grip on his hand tightened for a moment, but she relaxed quickly.

"You do seem to harbour a lot of secrets." She noted venomously.

Madara sighed sympathetically, "Unfortunately, yes I do." Fake sympathy, but that's what he used a lot around women. He had grown tired of deceiving women, but Chinatsu was going to be the last woman he lied to… probably.

Chinatsu was smiling, and it wasn't the politically correct and polite smile she usually wore to mask her true emotions. She visibly relaxed as soon as they left the compound.

It was warm outside, warmer than usual. The streets were strangely quiet and only a few lonely souls were out on that beautiful night under the moon. The snow on which they walked looked blue under the moonlight.

"We're almost there." Madara said, tearing a hole into the silence, when he saw the restaurant ahead. Chinatsu looked like she was completely in her own world. It felt as if she wanted to let go of Madara's hand and go dance in the snow and just run away from everything.

They entered the restaurant and were led to their table. Madara had already arranged everything so that they wouldn't have to order and the food was served when they arrived.

He sat down and picked up his chopsticks. Madara wasn't sure about Chinatsu but he was starving.

"So, what do you want to know?" He asked before taking a large mouthful of noodles. Chinatsu didn't move for several minutes, trying to choose something to ask.

"Why was Izuna mad at you when you decided to battle?"

"Because I lost my eyesight there and he knew that it would go that way."

She seemed confused.

"You're not blind."

"No, not anymore."

"Why?"

He hoped that she wouldn't ask that.

"Because Izuna gave me his eyes."

That made her stomach lurch. Chinatsu lowered her chopsticks. Suddenly her appetite was gone. She observed how Madara calmly kept eating. You can never stop a hungry man.

"Literally?"

Madara's face remained blank.

"Yes, literally he took out his own eyes and gave them to me."

He tried not to sound sarcastic.

"So that's why you were away for so long…"

Madara sighed.

"Yes, both of us needed some time to recover."

It was so quiet in the restaurant. You couldn't hear anything from the kitchen, and even the three other lonely souls dining there were all silent.

"I see. Also there is one last question that I need to ask you before I have to discuss something completely different."

Madara took a large gulp of tea. It was only lukewarm much to his displeasure.

"Do you love me, or do you still love Yuna?"

He thanked the gods that it was only lukewarm. Madara calmly swallowed the tea, his eyes never leaving Chinatsu. This was the first day where he could actually see her face, and it wasn't disappointing. His mind was racing in the speed of lighting to decide how to proceed. He never really gave much thought about his feelings towards Yuna. Madara was not one to admit love.

"I've never loved Yuna. It was more like a mutual understanding and nothing more."

Another lie. One life after another… Almost.

He was not going to confess his love to Yuna or anything, but he was certain that Yuna is the woman he wants to spend his life with.

So was that love? Or just security?

"I promised to answer truthfully, so please don't feel offended but I don't love you."

Her face was unreadable. Anger?

"Hashirama has plans to create a hidden village with the Uchiha and all the clans you two have conquered to seal the peace finally. He wants to start negotiating with the clans next year and finish everything by midsummer. So in January be prepared to visit my dear brother again."

He deeply despised surprises like these. There was only two weeks left until New Years, plenty of time to prepare.

"I can't wait to discuss it with Hashirama."

"Also since you don't love me, I want a divorce after the hidden village is formed. There's no point in wasting my youth and beauty on someone who doesn't desire it."

Madara couldn't keep his triumphant smirk hidden..

_Man eater._


	33. Chapter 33

33.

The months dragged by slowly for Yuna. The Senju, much more loved around the world for their smiles and peaceful attitude did most of the negotiating when it came to borders of Konoha. That's what they decided to call this hidden village. She found the name, at first, strange and unsuitable, but the more she repeated that name "Konoha" to herself the more suitable it became. It's the same with lies, if you keep repeating it in your head and to everyone else it slowly becomes the truth, the only truth that exists. Everything else will be turned to dust.

She rarely saw Chinatsu anymore. The woman locked herself into her lonely room when she stayed in the Uchiha residence. The first time Chinatsu told her brother that she wants to divorce, he didn't say anything. The day after Chinatsu disappeared to somewhere without a word, and when she returned it looked as if she was broken, like a mangled doll. Madara didn't say anything about her, so Yuna didn't ask as well. To be honest Madara didn't even talk to his wife anymore. Yuna wasn't sure if Chinatsu was ignoring Madara or the opposite. Either way she thought that it would be better to stay quiet and stay out of their affairs.

This year was the first time that the Uchiha celebrated along with the Senju, and it wasn't a quiet party. Both sides had prepared some amazing performances by dancers, musicians and as a grand finale; the Uchiha had prepared an almost dangerous firework show. When they were still developing it someone accidentally set the roof on fire. Luckily, a water type shinobi was close by and thanks to his quick reactions, no one got hurt.

Madara was not happy with the current situation, and he didn't like the idea of the future as well. The concept of cooperating with the Senju was not acceptable in any form for him, but under the great pressure of the elders and the rest of the clan, he had to grit his teeth and bear with it if he wanted to stay as a leader. A disgrace, that's what Madara called it. Yuna who never really cared for power just silently listened to him, without making any comments. Madara preferred it that way. It was easier for him.

Slowly…his ideals were starting to clash with the clan.

"You wouldn't love me if I weren't who I am." Madara stated once to Yuna. She just gave him a long, gloomy look before sighing.

"Yes, because then you would be a lowlife commoner with a bad attitude and no real strengths. No one likes them and usually they die early because of their mouths. Now I know that there are wounds and pain behind that façade that you put up." Madara snorted. He never openly agreed with the "mushy pointless words" of a woman.

"It's no façade." He remarked. Yuna only gave him a knowing smile.

"That's because you have repeated this lie long enough. Now the façade has turned to reality and replaced your true self. Or you could just admit that you're a big bad jerk." Madara wasn't pleased with the last comment by her. It occasionally bothered him that he allowed Yuna to talk so freely around him, but it gave him a rare opportunity to actually understand someone. He never really cared for anyone's motives as long as they played their part, but Yuna…she had not big role in one of his schemes. She was just there; ready to accept Madara with his bloodstained history and mistakes.

"You talk too much."

"Are you mad because I annoy you or because I'm right?"

Madara stopped for a second before poking her forehead playfully.

"Maybe a bit of both, only you know the answer," he said mockingly.

* * *

The divorce was moving slowly. Izuna's healing was slow. Everything was dragging like a snail in glue, until the day when Uchiha called Yuna to his office. This time it wasn't for a casual chat, he had a mission for her, and a tough one. He openly and loudly protested when it was suggested that Yuna will be the one who'll be sacrificed for the sake of other people, but after being pressured by the elders and other higher ranking clan members he was forced to agree.

She sat in front of him innocently, completely unaware of the dangers awaiting him. Madara sighed, the frown on his forehead gave Yuna an early indication that he wasn't pleased with the situation…then again was Madara ever completely pleased?

"I prohibit you to die on this mission," the seriousness in his voice started to scare Yuna. Usually he would get straight to the point, but now it seemed as if he was hesitating, as if he was scared as well.

"Way up north in the fire country is a fortress, surrounded with thick brick walls. There are rumours going around that the leader drinks the blood of young women, believing that it will prolong his lifespan. Every week he recruits new young females in his ranks of maids and servers.

What exactly happens there is unknown because none of the servers ever leave.

Well you might've figured out already that his health is very poor, he's a very paranoid man, which is why I have spread the rumour that you, Kuroki Hikari, are very good with muscle stretching and chakra readings. This man's name is Uematsu Hideto and you will enter his mansion and kill him. This is one of the first missions where we work together with the Senju. You see, they are concerned for the wellbeing of the women, but they are far too familiar for Uematsu. He wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Word about Senju and Uchiha working together has gotten out as well so sending and Uchiha would be idiotic.

But you, you don't resemble anyone from Senju or Uchiha.

Killing this frail man won't be difficult, but getting back out is. The walls are thick and the security is tight. Before entering Uematsu's residence examine the city, the guards' shifts, figure out an escape route for yourself and only then can you go in.

We will have a medic train you about the basics, I'm sure you can improvise as well if there is a need. Do you have any questions?"

There was a long moment of silence between them. Yuna used that time to let the message sink in, and took a moment to examine Madara. His ego was hurt for sure.

"What kind of people are Kuroki Hikari and Uematsu Hideto?"

Madara paused for a moment.

"Kuroki Hikari is a woman from a small village in earth. She lived with her parents until she decided to do something to help people and along with her master began to travel and learn about the human body. She is single, no kids and also no other siblings beside her parents. Hikari is a gentle person, sometimes a bit impatient…now Uematsu Hideto is a different story. That man is harsh, paranoid, ruthless and sadly very intelligent. He's a man you can't fool easily and he won't hesitate to order your execution. Sadly, you are young so he might choose to drain your blood and drink it.

This man is beyond paranoid so I can't stress it enough how important it is for you to live in your role. We don't know how well trained are his allies, we don't know how to get in or out of that mansion, but you will have to figure it out.

You have to become Kuroki Hikari in the next few days. Also, we'll dye your hair red."

Yuna stared at him blankly before she started to giggle. The thought of her as a ginger seemed too unnatural to actually believe.

"Are you kidding me? I will look horrible! You said that he's paranoid. What if the colour bleeds?"

"Well you can't use a jutsu. Like I said, he's paranoid so he probably has some way of dispelling all jutsus that disguise your true appearance, so our only hope is to use something more natural."

Madara kept watching Yuna's face, she was always very easy to read, and whenever she was quiet Madara would carefully look at her face to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable. When he stated that Yuna's hair will be red, she first looked startled, then angry and after that amused. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but Yuna certainly wasn't happy.

"How long will you wait before you assume I'm dead?"

He didn't want to acknowledge that things could go wrong, Madara wanted to be like a little kid and stuff his fingers into his ears and sing very loudly, but he couldn't. It was his job to be neutral when it came to Yuna's duties. If it were up to him, he'd let her do what she wants every day without serving the Uchiha.

Deep down Yuna probably wanted to slaughter the entire clan, but she wasn't that kind of a person to blame the women, children and the elderly because she had really bad luck. It was just a string of events and she happened to be in the middle of them.

"Two months, that is the standard time,"

She nodded. It was pointless to wait any longer.

Madara leaned forward, "but I will always wait for you," he said with a small smile.

Her chest tightened and Yuna closed her eyes.

For her, those words hurt like knives. She barely registered Madara's soft touch, Yuna didn't even notice his lips touching hers. All that she could register was the pain in her chest, the pain stayed until the next day and the scene kept replaying in her head like a broken record, and each time sent the same wave of emotions over her.

**First of all, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LETTERS, REVIEWS, FAVORITES AND ALERTS! I know it has been a long time but I never forgot about this story, and when I logged in after months and saw that this story has more than 50 000 hits I wanted to cry out of joy because I felt so touched. All of your reviews and letters have encouraged me a lot to keep on going…I can promise you one thing; I will never give up this story until it is finished! **

**Honestly, for a while I lost all of my desire to write this story because the new developments in Naruto have completely messed up my vision of the finale so I was left disappointed and angry like a child. So I allowed the story and the ideas to sit and…grow.. so to say.**


	34. Chapter 34

34.

She recognized the sound of that particular cane. Izuna carried it around all the time, just in case, after his...trade. It had been transformed to be more like a weapon. Yuna didn't move from her current spot and waited for Izuna to pass. Instead, he stopped next to her with that polite, fake smile of his. She waited for him to say something, an insult, order or anything, but in the end, his head was just turned down to her. If he still had eyes, he'd be looking right at her. Yuna finally sighed in defeat and closed her eyes.

She was to depart for her mission soon.

"Since when do you wait for invitations? It's not like you, Izuna."

Yuna felt a small shift, but didn't hear anything.

"I heard about your mission."

No emotion from her side, she tried to remain careful with Izuna.

"Has my brother confessed his love in any form?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Izuna heard that, without doubt. She could feel, even with her eyes closed, his smile growing wider with each passing second.

"Yuna, are you ignoring me?"

It stung when he used her name like that, with that soft, fake voice of his that made him sound almost as if he liked her.

His words were followed with a suffocating silence. Izuna didn't mind waiting, especially if it annoyed and preferably made Yuna uncomfortable. She pulled her clothes closer to her skin when the wind rustled past them. Izuna didn't move a muscle; he almost looked like a statue, a scary one with the bandages around his face. He hated those bandages, they reminded him of the fact that people won't believe that he can just brush this off and casually move on.

Yuna interrupted Izuna's train of thoughts with a short, humourless laugh.

"I doubt that Madara would ever openly confess his love towards me," she answered truthfully. Yuna wasn't sure if Madara was capable of confessing such emotions.

"Do you believe that there is a parallel universe somewhere? It might be a completely different era…but everything done here will affect the other universe."

Izuna looked at Yuna as if she had eaten something weird.

"What the hell are you babbling about?"

She smiled, "I had a dream last night where I was standing on a cliff, I looked different, I was wearing weird clothes, and Madara was there as well. His hair was short and his clothes were similar to mine. It felt like it was solely up to him whether I jump or not, and then I started to wonder, is there a universe where Madara and I never got together. Or maybe there is one where we never separated. You get the point."

Izuna chuckled and got up.

"You know, I like you more than I did before. You've changed to the better. I'm not sure what my brother sees in you, but none of it matters to you two. I can tell that my brother harbours deep feelings towards you so I'm asking you not to crush them. What I'm curious about is…Are you in love with my brother?"

Yuna was glad that Izuna couldn't see the pink tint on her cheeks. It was faint, but nevertheless visible. She shook it off with a smile.

"Yes, it's the sole reason why I'm still here, for his sake, to try and keep him safe."

Izuna halted for split second before he got up and left as if it was nothing, leaving Yuna more confused than before. Did he really drag his ass out there just to talk about his feelings?

She sighed and lied down on her back. That dream felt so familiar, even though she had never seen it before.

The strange clothes, sounds, voices, devices…it seemed like nothing that she could make up on her own. She never was that imaginative.

Yuna sat up and rubbed her eyes. Now was not the time. She had to focus on becoming someone else. Yuna was no longer Yuna. The tricky part was to become Yuna once more, just one last time. Madara had a sick sense of humour…Hikari…that's the name of her dead mother. A truly twisted man…

_I wonder how Sayu's doing…I want to see her son…I'm sure that it'll be a son…_

* * *

She never saw Madara before leaving. Her mission was kept quiet to avoid any hateful leakages. It took her only a few days to reach the lively town. It was a magnificent sight to behold. The mammoth stone walls seemed indestructible and the iron gates were safely shut. Yuna took a moment to absorb the beauty; it won't be hard to get out as a ninja as long as she remained careful and stealthy. There were guards patrolling on the walls, walking back and forth as if they were in a strange trance.

Yuna took cover in the trees, carefully assessing the walls. This place couldn't be completely closed. Every city, every house has a sewage pipe somewhere…or at least an opening. She chomped down a soldier pill with warm water before sitting down. For the rest of her day she was going to conceal her presence and simply observe the city.

Her, now red, hair was hid under the hood of her jacket. She still wasn't used to it. Tomorrow she was going to enter the city and scout for an opening. It was all planned out; she had three days before she had to enter the mansion hid deep inside those gigantic walls. That's when her meeting with Uematsu was set up. If Yuna couldn't find a way out by that time, then she would have to count on her nonexistent luck to get out again.

"Hey lady!"

The stentorian shout caused Yuna to almost fall off of the branch. She scrambled hurriedly to grab onto something before looking down panting. There stood a little boy, perhaps not older than fourteen with a wide smile on his face.

_There goes my idea for scouting…STUPID mistake Yuna…and you call yourself a ninja?_

Yuna was too surprised to be angry, and simply stared down to the boy with wide eyes. His grease covered skin and tattered clothes gave her a general outlook about his social status. She picked up her things and climbed down the tree. When she turned around, Yuna found the boy close to him, examining her face carefully. He hastily pulled down the hood, revealing her red hair before grinning from ear to ear.

"Lady you're very pretty! Why are you sitting up on that tree while staring at Uematsu's fortress?" He inquired with no restraint. Yuna found his lack of manners very alarming, but also amusing.

"Thanks…and I'm kind of trying to figure out the best way to enter actually…" she replied truthfully. No point in trying to lie her way out of this. What could a little boy do anyway? His forest green eyes lit up with excitement and he grabbed her hand and started guiding her through the woods.

"Oh you're going to love this! Using the front gate is stupid, they check in everybody that goes in and ask you a gazillion things before letting you enter. No point in doing that when you can always use the back exit…Not a very official one but the refugees and other poor folk like me use it!"

Her eyebrow rose and she tilted her head innocently, "What do you mean?" she asked, not trying to be soft with her words. The boy seemed like a straightforward fellow, Yuna didn't see a reason as to why should she hold back.

His fingers left her hand and it fell to Yuna's side, "My dad gambled all his money, and beat my mum so much that she almost died. That's when I decided that I will save her…we came here in the hopes for a new life, but that Uematsu is a real scumbag…the town is completely split into two, the upper and lower town…You can probably guess from where I come from," he said jokingly.

Yuna sighed and offered him a small smile, "I can honestly say that I'm proud of you, also thank you for showing me the secret passage… I'll make sure not to tell anyone," she added with the tiniest glint of amusement. It worked like a charm on the boy and his toothy grin resurfaced, "Anything for a pretty lady like you. My friends call me Rat."

He offered his nickname so proudly, keeping his anonymity for obvious reasons. Yuna found it only acceptable to offer her name in return, "Well my mother named me Hikari. Completely uncharacteristic for me but no matter…How long until we get there?" Yuna insisted. It came out too impolite for her tastes, but Rat didn't seem to mind.

"Endure a little longer, Hikari. We're almost there. It's a hidden way in, after all. A smelly one I can promise you," Rat started to sound more and more entertained. During their little walk, Yuna had the time to absorb his features. Rat was a short boy who was a little undernourished with sandy coloured hair and big eyes. Even though he had been through all of these hardships, his eyes hadn't lost their light. Yuna found that peculiar and also intriguing.

When she eyed the city walls, Yuna could occasionally catch a glimpse of the ostentatious towers and flamboyant decorations on the rooftops. Completely unnecessary.

Even Rat noticed it: "That's the upper town. They bathe in their riches while the poor people like us starve…Why are you here anyway?"

Yuna smiled and shook her head, "Well it's going to sound strange but a little voice in the back of my head told me that I should. Isn't it strange?"

"Well the little voice picked a horrible town…that I can promise."

* * *

After almost twenty minutes Rat led Yuna to a large pipe. As she had suspected it was a sewer line. Rat promised her that this was now unused and safe to use. They entered the small smelly pipe. The stench was ubiquitous, filling every last nook and corner. Their pace slowed down and Yuna had to crouch to fit through. Rat was still a small kid so he could walk freely.

If it hadn't been for the light coming from the end of the pipe, Yuna wouldn't have seen a thing in the small pipe.

Suddenly Rat stopped, causing Yuna to bump into him.

"On your left there's a ladder. Climb up and you'll end up in an alley."

"Thank you for showing me this route. It'll come handy in the future."

The Rat laughed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Oh don't thank me! Anything for a pretty lady…Just don't tell anyone about this place okay?"

Yuna grinned and extended her pinkie finger, "I promise," she said truthfully. Rat gladly accepted her little promise before running off. What could he possibly be busy with down in the sewer remained a mystery for Yuna. Nevertheless she started climbing up from the ladder. It was made out of metal and was covered in grime, which made climbing a little slippery.

Yuna pushed the lid up without any difficulties and climbed out before closing it again carefully. She looked around the dim alley, not a single soul in sight. Yuna left the dead end, engraving her escape route into her mind. This was the one and only way out and if she mixed something up, everything was lost.

Yuna ended up on a more-than depressing street. The buildings looked like they were on the verge of collapsing, while on the background flamboyant, exquisite buildings stood watch over the ominous lower town. She sighed and started walking down the street, trying to find an inn where to stay.

The few people she did see on the streets glared at her dubiously. Before any of them could say something or pick a fight Yuna noticed a sign pointing towards an inn nearby. She was more than happy to escape the distrustful glares.

The inn was no better than the rest of the city; grey, broken and pitiful. Nevertheless Yuna decided to hop in. She found herself in an empty reception room with a red dirty carpet on the wooden floor. The walls were splattered with a nauseating green colour that made her stomach turn. Behind the reception desk stood a bored old man. He didn't seem dangerous, but looks can be deceiving. The man was overweight, with a balding head and yellowing teeth. He looked like he hadn't shaved or taken a shower in weeks.

Yuna walked up to him with a polite smile, "I believe that I'm a little lost. I was wondering could you point me towards the way that would take me to the upper town. I have some business there, but I've never visited this place."

The man's bored look melted right off of his terrible features and it was replaced by a sneer.

"I'm in no mood to help the rich blokes in any way. So you can shove that smile up your rear and get the hell out. Don't understand why did you even bother crawling to the lower town!"

She didn't flinch because of his crude choice of words. Yuna sighed and shrugged, "I guess I got lost. No harm done…I'll just…follow the buildings or something…" she mumbled and retreated with the smile still glued on her face, just for the sake of annoying the man.

_Why do you always nettle? _She asked herself, but no answer came. Yuna slammed the door shut and pulled her hood up before continuing her road. This town was dead. The kids weren't playing or laughing and the adults looked worn out and…old. Ridding them of Uematsu seemed fair to her.

The lower town was like a maze, keeping her occupied for almost an hour until she came upon a gate. It was strange to see how suddenly, beyond the iron bars the grey ended and the flamboyant and colourful life began. The line looked as if it was cut with a knife.

She walked up to the gate and smiled to the guards politely. They eyed her dirty, unwashed figure with distaste.

"I would like to get to the upper city if you may. I have a meeting with Uematsu-sama, but I accidentally arrived three days too early…It's my first time here so I somehow managed to end up in the lower city by accident…" her voice trailed off and she removed her hood to ease their suspicion a little. One of the nameless, stoic guards stepped forward.

"State your name and business," he ordered, his voice as flat and boring as his face.

"Kuroki Hikari, I'm here to heal Uematsu-sama…or at least try to ease his worries a little."

One of the guards noted it down onto a board before tugging a rope on his rope. After a moment the metal bars rose and Yuna was granted access to the upper city…piece of cake really…

"Don't cause any trouble," one of them warned. She smiled politely and bowed while entering an entirely new world. A brighter one, filled with beautifully dressed women dancing in the hands of well mannered lords. Pompous rich people, to put it shortly.

She walked through the crowded street, her eyes blinded by the colourful signs, all of them trying to invite her to their restaurant, shop or inn. Yuna randomly picked one that didn't seem to expensive and walked right in. A traditional one with hot water and free breakfast…perfect.

* * *

**It seems like I'm on a roll this week. Keep on reading and reviewing and thank you for putting up with my irregular updates… I'll try not to do that again...you know...disappearing for almost a year hahaha xD**


	35. Chapter 35

35.

Those few days that she had gave Yuna enough time to get cleaned up and go over everything the Uchiha's medics taught her. She spent most of the days on her bed, simply reading and memorizing scrolls like maps. When she tried very hard, Yuna could recall her time with her family…almost. She had to study very hard to learn everything about the world and its history as well. Her parents were preparing her for the future and she was thankful for that, because thanks to their endless knowledge-pounding sessions Yuna could learn things faster.

She had developed a very set schedule for herself. In the morning, she woke up before breakfast arrived and cleaned herself up. After breakfast, she would study and scheme until two o' clock, then it was time for lunch somewhere nearby and a little walk around the town to observe the guards and possible escape routes. After that, she would study some more until it was time for bed. The cycle was dulling and occasionally nauseating, but necessary.

During her strolls in the cold sun, Yuna would always end up glaring at the strange castle in the heart of the village. It looked breathtakingly beautiful, but there was something strange and dead about the place. She tried to blame it on the scaring fact that inside there, some paranoid psycho was killing poor innocent women who were probably scared out of their minds.

A horrible way to die really…On a cold metal table, with a blade pushed against your neck as if you were a pig in a slaughterhouse.

Just the mere thought caused her to shudder uncomfortably.

Yuna felt a pang of guilt every time she thought of Rat. He trusted her and cut out her ticket to freedom and now Yuna simply left to the upper city without a word or an explanation.

One of the things that Yuna didn't think about at all was Madara and his current whereabouts. She had to focus on becoming Hikari, who was single…not that Madara ever really defined their relationship. It was simply filled with lust and mutual understanding. They weren't like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, far from it. Madara was impatient and Yuna occasionally loved to test that patience simply for the fun of it.

For the next week, none of it mattered. Yuna had decided to do this properly and forget about any pain ever felt.

* * *

On the fateful day, Yuna was scared out of her wits. Before checking out of the hotel, she had to spend almost an hour simply meditating. _If I believe that I'm Hikari, then they will as well._

That's what she told herself multiple times.

She took her course towards the ominous castle in the middle of the village. The city was lively as always, filled with hoards of people. Without a mistake, they were elaborately dressed with brightly coloured and handmade outfits, one more flamboyant than the other. It seemed as if the seamstresses were competing in who could fit more colours in one piece of clothing. That's where Yuna stuck out like a sore thumb with her simple coat and red hair, which was tied into a loose bun.

She conjured a softer, more curios and knowing expression to seem more like a wandering healer.

The beautiful fortress was becoming bigger and bigger with each step. She couldn't help but to gawk once she reached the front gate. The crimson gates were guarded, that much was expected. The mansion had no open windows to allow in fresh air. Everything was sealed shut from the outer world.

Yuna took a few steps towards the door, only to be stopped by a spear pointed towards her face. She frowned and tried to force down the natural urge to slam the spear away from her face.

"Commoners are not allowed to enter the castle," stated the man with a strong voice. Yuna sighed and leaned back nonchalantly, "What makes you think that I'm just a random peasant? I'm Kuroki Hikari, the healer from Earth country."

The guard seemed unaffected by her response, "Uematsu-sama is currently busy and is accepting no visitors."

Yuna was starting to get impatient and nervous at the same time.

"I'm more than willing to wait to meet him. I've heard of his troubles and I want to help, to rid him of his bodily curses…" she replied, her voice trailing off.

"Don't you want to see your leader in full glory?" Yuna demanded loudly. Acting this dramatically was attracting attention from the other guards as well. Since the guard in front of her didn't respond negatively, Yuna found courage to continue her rant. "How about you let him decide if I'm worth his time."

* * *

Part one of her mission was a success. Yuna was now seated in one of the guest rooms to wait for Hideto. It was a small room, very well lit with many candles and lights. There were no windows in this room and no place to hide. There was only the lonely wooden table in the middle of the room with six chairs. The walls were painted white, ornamented with complicated red patterns and the floor was covered with a black carpet.

The room was completely flat with no places to hide anything. No places for secret weapons or items.

Nearly an hour had passed since the guard brought her in, yet there was still no sign of Hideto. Yuna was so bored out of her mind that she decided to observe the patterns drawn onto the wall. No matter how she looked at it, the pictures weren't making any sense. It looked more like someone was murdered in the room and the painting was nothing more than a large splatter of blood.

…Actually that made more sense…

Yuna jumped when she suddenly heard the door open behind her. She was prepared to meet Hideto's cold gaze, but a small girl entered instead. She looked no more than twenty, with light blonde hair and dark brown eyes. The woman was carrying a tray with a teapot, two cups and a small plate with yokan on it.

She closed the door behind her quietly and walked over to the table. Without uttering a word or sparing a glance she put everything on the table with perfect symmetry and poured tea to the two cups. After doing so she got up and left as quietly as she came.

"Strange…" mumbled Yuna.

A few minutes later the door opened again. This time Yuna's blood froze. Whenever she thought about Hideto's appearance, Yuna imagined a short, skinny man with weak muscles and thin hair. This man in front of her was buff, every muscle perfectly defined. His posture was great, his jaw was strong and his eyes held no mercy.

He entered the room and Yuna bowed to him automatically. This man wasn't a ninja, that much was obvious, but the way he held himself made his presence a lot more dangerous. In a way, he reminded her of Madara. Both of them used fear to gain control, only Madara didn't kill innocent people out of selfish reasons.

Yuna didn't lift her eyes until Hideto was seated. She held her back erect and looked straight ahead into those cold eyes.

"Why did you come?" he asked finally. Hideto's voice was low and held a certain tone of authority. He was very well aware of the influence he possessed.

Yuna tried to remain passive, "To usher out words about my limitless good will would be a blatant lie. I'm mostly curious about the cause and cure. Medicine is all about evolution; it's a race to beat everyone else."

"So you're just a selfish crazy doctor?"

Yuna couldn't help but to smirk, "Every medic is, not all of them dare to admit it though. By letting in the madness one also broadens their mind and imagination. That's why I believe that I can cure you."

Hideto's mouth curled into a snarl, "How can I believe your words, which sound practiced and artificial, coming from a foreign person with no name or fame?"

Yuna chuckled and shook her head, "Of course you can't. This may very well be an assassination attempt, but from what I could gather I learnt that you've only been treated by regular medics. I on the other hand have treated ninjas as well. Everybody has a chakra network in their body. Many conditions are caused because there's an irregularity in the network. Ninjas notice it immediately because it will interfere with their regular duties, yet on regular people it manifests differently."

"Again with the fancy words. I've had plenty of leeches and assassins already."

"Well you haven't given me a chance to prove myself. Give me a week; if there's no progress by that time then I will leave."

Hideto lifted the cup of tea to his lips calmly and took a large gulp, not even flinching at the heat.

"You will be monitored. At any sign of suspicious behaviour and…well I strongly suggest you don't try anything funny."

Yuna's eyes widened with surprise before a large smile broke out, "So…during this week I can perform any test necessary? Of course none of them won't be harmful to you…"

Hideto nodded, "Any kind of tests, but there will always be someone with you. Also you have access to our libraries. A maid will come to escort you to a room soon. Your week shall begin tomorrow."

With that statement Hideto left. Yuna felt physically lighter after his departure. The shock of witnessing Hideto's appearance was finally wearing off. She leaned back and sighed, cracking her neck. Now all she had to do was to figure out a way around the maid.

The door opened and Yuna met a pair of very familiar eyes. The maid seemed to recognize her as well because she almost tripped over her own feet. She quickly entered the room and closed the room.

"What are you…?"

"It's been a long time," replied Yuna with a polite smile. This chance was too good to be true.

* * *

**Hahaha I bet you want to find out who the maid is? Soon~ very soon. **


	36. Chapter 36

36.

"Sayu, how have you been? It's been a long time…" Yuna whispered and plopped herself on the table, swinging her feet over the edge like a child. Sayu's black eyes were like tiny slits as she glared at Yuna, probably trying to melt her with mental laser beams. It didn't seem to wipe away the amused look on Yuna's face.

Sayu sighed and leaned against the door lazily, "There seems to be no one around so I'll get straight to it. Why are you here?"

A sense of nostalgia washed over Yuna, the feeling of being scolded and constantly lectured by Sayu reminded her of the old days. Her head tilted slightly to the left and she hummed to herself quietly, "What about you? Last time I saw you, you were all high and mighty about quitting this lifestyle for your kid. By the way, how is he?"

Sayu sighed and rubbed her temples, "Yeah I guess this is a pot-kettle situation…" she halted for a second to collect her thoughts, "How did you know that it's a boy?"

Yuna giggled innocently and shrugged, "I didn't, honestly. It was just a hunch. Someone as stubborn as you is bound to give life to a healthy baby boy."

Silence fell between the two; Yuna used that time to take in Sayu's appearance. She was still pale and slim just as she was before. Her hair barely reached her chin now, but her eyes were still as stubborn and angry as before. It was kind of a trademark for Sayu; she didn't _have _to be angry to actually look angry.

"What are you staring at?" Sayu snapped quietly, a tiny blush covering her cheeks. Yuna flashed a cheeky grin, making Sayu even more self-conscious, "Anyway, I'm here because we have no money. Izaya needs to be fed and this winter has been rough, so I'm leaking information about Uematsu to the outside."

"His name is Izaya…? Pretty name, don't you think that it's a little to… feminine?" Yuna inquired, just to barely dodge a knife hurling towards her face.

"If I name a boy Izaya then I name him that because it's god damn _manly_!" Sayu hissed quietly, the red on her cheeks constantly darkening.

Yuna waved her hand nonchalantly and threw the knife back to Sayu, "Anyway, do you want to escape from here with me? I'm here to," Yuna made a cutting motion on her neck, "this Uematsu guy and then I'm out of here."

Sayu snorted and crossed her hands on her chest, "It's not going to be so easy to waltz out of here you know? Despite being ninja…You're going to have to know exactly where and when are the guards going to be. I'll find us a window. Where from are you going to escape?"

"A sweet little boy showed me a sewer line that isn't used anymore. It'll take us straight to the forest. It's in the lower city though."

Sayu sighed and shook her head, "Annoying as hell, draws a lot of attention…We'll be lucky if the lower city's people don't give us out. They tend to…dislike ninjas. Getting over that wall will be easy, but doing so without drawing any attention will be tough."

"Can it be done?" inquired Yuna seriously. Sayu snorted, "What? You think that I want to die here? Try to delay his death until the end of the week, okay?"

Yuna nodded, "Will do. Shall you guide me to my humble bedroom now?"

* * *

The morning started early for Yuna. She was woken up by Sayu who, with much sarcasm, politely guided her through the elaborate maze to the dining room. Uematsu had no wife nor children, he was much too paranoid for that and still young enough to delay.

Yuna was seated to his left hand. While the tasty and beautifully arranged dishes where served, Yuna took her time to observe her surroundings. There were at least ten armed men stationed around the room. As always there were no windows, instead the red walls were decorated by original paintings from famous artists. Yuna recognized almost all of them.

"Are all of those originals?" she asked, trying to strike up a conversation politely. Uematsu, bulky and intimidating as always, nodded curtly while keeping his eyes on the servers. Each dish was then tasted by another person, presumably for poison. That morning ritual took up nearly fifteen minutes. Yuna was quietly tapping her toes on the wooden floor.

The maids were all identically dressed into red yukata with black linings, all of them tried to avoid any eye contact with Uematsu.

The mansion itself always seemed to be well heated, but every now and then Yuna felt multiple chills running down her back.

Finally after Uematsu was sure that none of the food was poisoned her rose an arm and made a careless gesture to the guards. To Yuna's horror, all the guards simultaneously began searching the maids. With blank faces, they searched all their sleeves, pockets, hair, shoes…any place where a vial or a knife could be hidden.

Uematsu calmly picked up his chopsticks, "We may dine," he stated simply. No fancy words, straight to the point.

Yuna tried to keep her hands from shaking while she ate her rice silently. The food had no taste in her mouth; she simply took it as an energy source. The guards had found nothing suspicious from the maids and the room had returned to its sombre silence.

"Uematsu-sama, after breakfast may I begin questioning you and draw some blood?" Yuna asked carefully. There was no need to be worried; she was simply a healer from far away with a deep academic interest in his case.

"Very well…I have two hours to spare, if you can fit everything into those two hours then I'll be very grateful."

Yuna flashed a tiny smile, "Of course, two hours is enough. As promised I have a week."

No more words were exchanged after that. When Uematsu had finished eating, Sayu appeared and escorted them to a nearby room. They were followed by a group of guards who kept a very close watch on Yuna.

This was the first room to have a window. Yuna had never felt so happy to see the sun before. She walked away from the company just to stand there, stare down to the city and enjoy the silence. Her tiny moment of peace was interrupted by someone slamming the door shut.

The guards took their posts around the room and Sayu remained near the door, head bowed down.

Yuna awkwardly coughed before sitting down onto her knees. Uematsu mimicked her movements and they took a few moments to simply look at each other.

"Could you simply talk about what's bothering you and I'll ask any questions if necessary."

Only one question rang through Yuna's mind: Does this guy ever change his facial expression?

"Very well. Once in every two weeks, I have…seizures you could call them. Out of nowhere, my entire body is consumed in large amounts of pain. It's like a quiet, constant throbbing pain all around my body. If I try to move then the pain doubles, so you could say that in a way I'm paralyzed. It lasts from thirty minutes to an hour…sometimes even longer. It all depends on the day. One of the side effects is that I cough large amounts of blood. There's no weakness or fever. Heart rate is normal, breathing is normal."

It sounded as if he had explained this situation thousands of times already. His pace was relaxed, his words were chosen wisely and stated clearly.

"What do you do prior to the seizures? You daily schedule."

"I wake up as usually; eat breakfast, meet any officials if necessary, deal with the city business like criminals, immigrants and banking. Then I eat lunch, after I do some physical exercise. Mostly muscle training and yoga. If necessary, I deal with city matters or spend time relaxing alone and later eat dinner. All of my meal plans are well balanced and planned out."

Yuna spared a soft smile, "It's good to hear that you take good care of your body. The mind is another question though. I understand that you don't have much human contact and are quite stressed?"

"I don't need human contact. I don't long for it. My focus is solely on the city, surely it builds up stress but I do physical exercise for that."

"Any childhood traumas?"

"None."

"Any family?"

"I am an only child. Both of my parents are living inside the city, still alive. They're old now, but no health problems."

Yuna took a moment to collect her thoughts, "Any actions that could cause guilt to build up?"

That jab got a reaction out of him. Visibly he seemed unfazed by Yuna's jab, but a look flashed by his eyes that suggested otherwise. It took him a second longer to answer, and that one second convinced Yuna that the rumours of something shady going on in this mansion might be true.

"None. I live an honest life if possible."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty eight."

"Oh…" she mused quietly, "You look quite young." Yuna noted, trying to prompt another reaction from him. None came this time; he was mentally prepared.

"Was that medically relevant?"

"Not that relevant, it was simply interesting. You see, people are either younger than they look or they look exactly their age. It's rare to find someone who looks many years younger than he should."

"Was this info sufficient for you?" he questioned, this time eyeing her warily.

Yuna smiled and nodded, "Quite enough. One of my first suggestions before even physically examining you is to get some human contact. Humans are created to be social creatures, cramming that out completely is unhealthy. Any type of mental imbalance could manifest physically as well. I'm not saying that this is the entire case with you, but it's just a tip."

"…Much appreciated…" he said sternly. Yuna smiled and rose to her feet, "Now if I may then I'd examine you physically."

Uematsu raised his hands and two guards walked over. Yuna sighed and stretched out her arms to the side, allowing the guards' hands to roam free, trying to find any weapons. Naturally, they found none. The only weapon Yuna had were medical needles used for acupuncture. They were too fine to cause any serious damage, unless pressed to the correct point in a correct angle.

Despite her thin layer of clothing, the guards didn't cut her any slack. It took them a good five minutes to be completely sure, though for Yuna it was borderline harassment already.

She knelt down next to Uematsu and gently took his hand.

"Just keep breathing normally like you do." She instructed and placed two fingers onto his wrist, measuring his pulse. Everything seemed normal.

"I'm not going to test your joints. Please tell me if anything is causing discomfort or pain," she said politely. Carefully and gently, she started testing his fingers, moving on to the wrist and then the elbows. From there it went up to his shoulders and neck. Then down the spine.

There Yuna had him lie on his back and she continued with the hips. Bending his leg from the knee and bringing it up to his stomach, then straightening it out again. All of this was done in complete silence, counting out an occasional crack from Uematsu's limbs. He didn't complain or say anything, simply stared at the ceiling.

Yuna sighed, "Please, Uematsu-sama, relax your muscles. I can tell that you're tense."

She continued, her movements were almost like a massage. Yuna rattled her brains to remember everything the medics taught her. First, you check the bones for any sore spots, then stretch the muscles. After that comes the chakra therapy.

"I'm asking once more, did any movement cause you any pain or discomfort? Anything abnormal at all?"

The man shook his head and Yuna nodded.

"I'm going to work on the muscles and pressure points on your back and torso, so I will need you to remove your shirt if possible," Yuna requested politely. Uematsu complied like an ideal patient, no questions asked.

"Lie on your stomach, please."

The overly-polite act was starting to annoy Yuna. Uematsu flipped his body over easily. He wasn't lying about the workouts, the man looked almost as bulky as Madara.

"This will possibly hurt a little," Yuna warned the man before starting to look for any strained muscles. Anything that was in a tense knot, she mercilessly massaged until it cleared out. To get to the chakra paths, the muscles around it had to be relaxed. Otherwise, Yuna might miss something or end up slicing his muscles.

She worked down from his shoulders to his lower back before massaging out all of the knots from his arms. Yuna found herself plotting his murder in her head. Together with Sayu, she could kill all the men in the room without making too much noise. Uematsu was right under her, defenceless. Snapping his neck wouldn't pose a problem for her. She could knock him out before if necessary.

Yuna forced those thoughts down and continued the painful muscle stretching, careful not to miss any. There was no time to screw up now.

Every now and then, a silent grunt escaped the man's lips when Yuna touched an especially sore spot.

It took her almost an hour to complete but finally Yuna could move on to checking his chakra pathways. If anything was blocked, she could find it. She felt like a real medic already!

* * *

Madara tried to hold back a snarl. Chinatsu, as beautiful as always, had decided to appear before him now when Yuna was away for a while.

"I'll move back to the Senju main house next week. Any objections?" She asked politely. Madara shook his head slowly, his hands crossed on his chest.

Chinatsu snorted and leaned back in her chair casually, "You're still as numb as you were before. Quite annoying to be honest. You don't have to worry about my brother harassing you. I told him already that the entire thing was my idea."

No answer still came from Madara.

Chinatsu frowned, but relaxed soon after, "You know that's kind of sad how you're juggling marriages like that. I wonder if they'll let Yuna marry you again…if you actually want to do so."

"Is there a real reason why you're here?" he demanded sharply. Chinatsu wasn't fazed by his tone. She was used to his mood swings already.

"Just making sure that you have no regrets. Because…you see, I actually started to like you over time. Quite pitiful that you didn't notice…or if you did than ignored it."

"Are you expecting me to drop on all four like an animal and beg for you to take me back? You must be out of your mind."

The corner's of Chinatsu's mouth curled upwards and she sighed, "Yeah well not really actually. I'd be a long-term investment while Yuna's…temporary. The only reason you see anything in her is because her psychological state is so messed up that she'll cling to anyone who offers any type of kindness, also she has no family, no no-one so the odds of her betraying you are small. Yet…once all that mystery clears up and her mental state stabilises then… I wonder what you could see in her then."

Madara tried to bite back some very venomous insults that where on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he counts to ten in his head before continuing, "I appreciate your input on this situation, but you are sadly very mistaken and very off the mark."

"I won't have to marry her."

"You meant that you don't want to?"

"After two futile marriages I've realized that it's pointless to do so. I don't need some seal to prove our loyalty to each other. So please don't interfere with our affairs, it's not proper for a beautiful woman like you to do so."

Chinatsu snorted and rose sharply, "You're a fool, Uchiha Madara, and you're losing your grasp in this situation. The world is changing, the war is close to being over, meaning: you're out of a job. Your clan doesn't need some war hungry, narcissistic tyrant to lead them to their death."

Madara chuckled and shot her a blood-chilling glare, "Oh I wonder about that…What do you possibly know about loyalty? You, who tried to whored yourself into my clan just to crawl back again like an empty maggot?"

Chinatsu's fist slammed to the table, "Enough!" she screamed. This was the first time Madara had seen her political mask crack, but he didn't stop. Madara was never one to pull back, "What? Are you that annoyed because I completely nailed your personality?" he retorted mockingly. He caught her hand before she could land a proper slap on him.

"For the sake of both of us, I'm going to leave now," Chinatsu said calmly, sweetly, as if nothing had happened.

"Did you honestly think that this talk was going to make me drop everything with Yuna and come back to you? Honestly, there's not that much to you."

She slammed the door and the office fell to a silence one more. Madara closed his eyes and sighed. Izuna either heard the entire argument, or he's going to hear the "spiced up" version of the argument. Either way Madara has to deal with his annoying jabs soon enough.

* * *

**Hello~ **

**Thanks for all the reviews on the previous chapter! **

**I think that I'm a sadist for writing this last occurrence between Madara and Chinatsu, but I seriously wanted to crack her creepily perfect act =D**

**See you soon~**

**R.**


	37. Chapter 37

37.

Madara sat down onto the rocky shore of the river, where Hashirama and he had played a long-long time ago as kids. He could recall meeting the kid for the first time, completely unaware of his identity just as Hashirama didn't know a thing about Madara. Names and identities were a burden for both of them. Destined to fight just because of a name? What a stupid principle to believe in…

While Madara didn't feel any strong devotion or friendly sentiment towards Hashirama, he did recall the memory of their meeting with some bitterness. He hated to admit it, but meeting Hashirama was a lot more meaningful later in life than he desired to admit. Without that meeting, they'd still be at war and not creating a village together. That's why he also, along with respect, bore the feelings of hate. For Madara, that was fine. A road to glory and victory would be more fitting for the clan, but others didn't share his ideas.

Not anymore.

The young and aspiring clan leader was losing his grip and Madara hated admitting that Chinatsu did the right thing by escaping the sinking ship.

He lifted his eyes to meet the smiling face of Hashirama. Whenever Hashirama smiled, small wrinkles would appear in the corners of his eyes. Madara had no such wrinkles.

"How's it going?" he asked cheerfully. It looked like a scene out of a book, the Senju with birds chirping around and warm sunlight flooding everything. Madara remained motionless, trying very hard not to smile back at him. Just a small twitch of his mouth would do…

"Well enough. I guess I should apologize for your sister. Try not to give her a rough time, she really did try."

Hashirama gave Madara a puzzled look before it dawned to him, "OH! The divorce! Of course, I nearly forgot! Yes-yes, well now that the Konoha business has been put in motion her marriage seems trivial so the timing couldn't have been better!"

Madara's eyebrow twitched before he took a long, calming breath. Hashirama always acted like this around him. The carefree attitude only caused Madara to become even more alert than before.

"You said that we have some business to discuss."

Hashirama sighed and picked up a rock, turning it around on his palm a few times before hurling it at the water.

"Straight to the point…" he paused, trying to figure out a correct way to convey his thoughts, "The village needs a leader, and it probably should be either you or me since we, together, are the equal founders of Konoha."

"You probably believe it to be you?"

Hashirama raised his eyebrows before shaking his head with a big smile, "No, Madara, I am personally suggesting it to be you."

Uchiha Madara was a man difficult to surprise. The first time he was surprised was when he found out that his mother was expecting Izuna, the second time being when he acknowledged his feelings for Yuna and the third lucky time was right now.

His mask slipped and Madara was literally out of things to say. All he could do was to stare at Hashirama's kind face and try to understand the meaning of his words.

"You are insane to believe that anyone from the Senju would like me as the Hokage!"

"But why not? You're…odd in your methods I do admit that, but where others see brutality, I see the passion and dedication that is necessary to be a good leader. If you can lead Konoha with the same passion in your heart…"

Madara offered Hashirama a humourless laugh, "You truly are insane. Do what you please."

_Weren't you the one, Hashirama, who wanted to achieve true peace? Are you that blind that you confuse brutality with harmony? _

_You're too foolish, my friend…_

* * *

Izuna was, for the first time in years, quietly working on something in his room. A chronicle about the lives of him and Madara. The entire scroll was turned into a story with changed names, places to keep anyone from tracing it back to the two of them. It was funny, almost strange to recall childhood memories. Most of them were covered in blood and death while there were some loveable private moments he and Madara had shared as brothers.

Madara would be the mentor, the wise guide and Izuna was his loyal follower, too young to question his brother's ideology.

Kids probably were the most dangerous humans…So vulnerable, without their personal moral code built up based on experience. Anyone could take a child and plant a simple idea in their head. For example, 'Killing other people is normal'

A child, with no knowledge about ethics, would simply embrace the idea as pure gold and begin building their life around it.

He started working on it just a little bit before Yuna left. She even heard about it and searched him out especially.

"_Izuna, I know that I have no right to ask you for a favour…" _

"_Then don't," was his curt response. Izuna could 'see' her pulse quicken and her chakra pattern change. _

"_Hear me out. I know that you are recording the lives of you and Madara, so I'm asking you not to include me in it. Pretend that I don't exist, or write that I died during the fight with the Kunisada clan. Say that I switched sides or…anything. Just write me out of it…" _

_Now _that_ was a proposal that aroused his curiosity. He turned fully around, despite not being able to see her with his eyes. _

"_Why would I want to do that? Not saying that I don't want to…Honestly you should've died then and there." _

_His harsh words didn't faze her. Instead she laughed, "You know I have thought the same thing a lot. Now you want to do that because, both of us know that he doesn't have the time, energy or emotional capacity to carry this relationship on. I am the liability that latched onto him; caused his feelings to change and now I'm holding him back. _

_So when you're recording his life, I want you to remove this stain from his beautiful canvas. Pretend that I don't exist." _

"_So…I can use _any _ideas that I have to write you out? Cheating, murder, betrayals are all okay?" _

_Izuna's mind was racing, creating images of what he could do about her character in this chronicle. Yuna shrugged happily, "Anything is fine. Simply erase me from history. I ceased to exist along with the rest of my family." _

Because of that conversation, Izuna was set on the idea of creating the nastiest character possible for Yuna but…

It didn't seem right. This was supposed to be a chronicle about their lives. Yuna played no role in this story, and tainting her reputation and family would only remove the focus from the important things. So, reluctantly, he decided to write that Yuna died honourably in battle, loyally carrying out Madara's orders but was stabbed with a poisoned blade. A quick and quiet death, her body was buried into an unmarked grave along with the rest of the Kunisada.

A nice way to secure a safe future indeed.

* * *

"No, absolutely not!" shouted Tobirama. During the argument, he had caused many extra dents to appear on the already-mangled table.

Hashirama sighed and started playing with the edge of his sleeve, "I knew you'd react like this…I can't believe you were so predictable!"

"What I can't believe is how _you _decided something as important as that by yourself! Planting dangerous ideas to the head of that tyrant!"

"I can't comprehend what I'm hearing. My _own _brother is already creating a mess in this very delicate situation…"

Tobirama snorted and began pacing around the room, a habit of his whenever the two of them were alone. "Everybody knows that you will become the leader of Konoha, _you _will be the Hokage and not Madara because unlike him, you love peace and have the dedication!"

Hashirama was forcing his tone to be patient, "Madara, unlike me, has the will of fire, an intense passion for his kin. When talking about dedication and commitment, there is no one who could rival him. We _need _those qualities in a clan leader. Not to mention his extensive military experience. With him around, there's no need for security!" … "Okay the last part was a terrible argument, I admit it Tobi…" Hashirama said after short consideration.

Tobirama was still not pleased.

"You're overestimating him, and underestimating your own capacities."

Hashirama sighed and stood up from his table as well, his eyes on the same level as Tobirama's now. Equality between the two had always been an issue ever since they were kids.

"Your mind is still clouded with thoughts of anger and revenge! The Uchiha clan now isn't what it was fifteen years ago. Things have changed and Madara himself has changed. What prompted this remains a mystery."

The argument was becoming very heated between the brothers, and probably everyone outside felt it as well because the entire wing had emptied during the last few minutes. Not out of fear, but out of respect. The clan still offered the two brothers some privacy, time out of the public eye.

A smug smile spread over Tobirama's face, "I'm being angry? How about you try to convince the other parties involved with your sentiment and see how they take it, eh? This isn't a dictatorship and the leader will be chosen through honest voting and, believe me, the people are going to pick you whether Uchiha Madara likes it or not."

* * *

"What an incredibly cute offer!"

"No…it…is not."

Madara thought of putting on chakra restraints on him to keep him from physically assaulting a cripple, I mean…Izuna.

"No, it really is cute. Could be a very clever trap to 'show people your true colours' how you want to 'usurp all the power' upon first provocation."

He shook his head, tapping his toe against the floor impatiently, "No, his pulse was normal and no change in chakra patterns. He was serious with all the seriousness in the world."

Izuna's smile fell, "Madara, are you alright? I haven't seen you this shaken up for a while…"

"I, honestly, don't know. This is exactly the chance I've been waiting for but now that it's here I know that I will have the full support of the Uchiha, but the Senju will despise me. This thing will probably be put on public vote and of course the people will choose to ignore the fights the Senju," he spat that name out with venom, "have caused and will only see the big, bad and brutal Uchiha clan that would only lead Konoha to its destruction."

"Basically, you're fucked?"

"They want me to change into something I'm not. At least not yet."

Izuna shrugged and with an ounce of humour added, "Well you can always use Hashirama's idiotic trust for your own."

_Don't call it 'idiotic'… You weren't there on the river, you didn't hear his honest words back then and now…_

Izuna seemed to catch Madara's mood immediately, like a dog that can spot a scent of freshly cooked meat in the air, "Don't take it personally. I don't harbour any sentiment towards Hashirama, his ideals don't match up with mine so I use the easy way out and call his trust 'idiotic'."

Madara sighed and buried his face into his hands, "Whatever happens, I'm going to lose the position. A good leader knows when the battle has been lost."

Izuna offered Madara one of his rare, kind smiles, reserved only for Madara before patting his shoulder in a friendly manner. No words were needed to convey the meaning.

_No matter what happens to you here on out. I will always love you._

* * *

Everybody!

Thank you all for the very quick responses (: It shocked me to see how many of you are still around, waiting for an update. I can completely relate, waiting months and months for that one chapter to appear just to wait some more until it's finally finished. No worries, I think that we still have enough materials left to go up to 50 chapters ^_^

R.


	38. Chapter 38

38.

It was nearly three in the morning and the castle was sleeping, all except for a cunning maid and the doctor from a distant land who were sitting in the castle's cellar. They had only twice managed to talk a little bit without being watched and they already knew that someone was bound to be suspicious. To kill that rumour Sayu complained to some of the maids of her sick cousin and she was hoping to get some advice from the doctor.

So Sayu had arranged them a meeting under the house in quiet.

"Uematsu will be out today, he takes his blood-baths in a separate building outside town," she explained in the bathroom on the same day.

Sayu sat down onto one of the wooden crates pushed against the wall with her arms crossed on her chest.

"They know…the guards that you're planning to escape from that way this boy showed you."

Yuna nodded curtly, "I am well aware. Someone as paranoid as him would find everyone I had contact with before letting me near him."

"Well then you probably figured another escape route out, but I have an alternate one to offer. We're leaving this place together."

Yuna's eyes lit up with curiosity and she leaned in closer, as if scared that someone was lurking in the darkness. Being with Hideto had made her even more paranoid than usual. Sayu leaned closer to her ear to exchange secrets like little girls.

There, in the warm darkness, they exchanged their secrets and together they forged a foolproof plot to kill Hideto and secure Yuna's escape. She had never appreciated darkness much, but during her long, tense days, she began to love sitting in her room with all the lights turned off and pretending to be asleep.

Truthfully, she was too scared to sleep there and allowed herself only to doze off a few times. She used a simple jutsu to conceal the signs of weariness. Often, she thought about Madara. Not as the clan leader or the war hero but _her _Madara if such thing existed.

Love was too shallow to convey her feelings for him. It was respect, acceptance and loyalty she felt to him. If they had met under better circumstances, she would've devoted herself to him. Beneath the cold outside was a man who was so caring and true to his beliefs, that he didn't try to conceal his ideals. Yes, he was power hungry and bordering madness, but he also protected and fought for the things dear to him with his very being.

Yuna just wanted to embrace him for one last time. Just once would be enough so she could close her eyes and see all the good things about him.

* * *

Madara had locked himself into his bedroom for an entire day, not answering maids or even Izuna when he tried to come in. That didn't stop his beloved little brother for he simply kicked the door down and waltzed in, gracefully avoiding all splinters and pieces of wood that were scattered on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing here? I know you miss your ex-wife, but the fact that we're trying to cross the boundaries of logic and possibilities _do _require your assistance."

Madara didn't look up from his work, not even to yell at Izuna for breaking his door…again.

"Izuna, I have a request. It has to be kept a secret between you and me," he asked quietly, almost pleading him. Izuna's jolly mood died down and he walked to Madara's bed and sat on the edge.

"I'm growing a little worried. What is it that you want?"

Silence fell between the two and for several minutes, Madara said nothing. The only noise was made by the birds chirping outside and small cracks that Madara's lean fingers caused.

"Madara, you can trust me with anything. I will do it, whatever you ask of me."

Finally, Madara leaned back, the joints in his back and neck cracked loudly. His eyes looked out of the open window longingly and a smile was on his weary lips.

"This is something I want you to do out of your free will. If you feel that it goes against your desires, refuse."

Izuna smiled knowingly, "Brother, thanks to you I am alive, and I am here. Your will is mine, be it however queer for me."

"I want you to wed me and Yuna again, if she returns. Secretly, out of the compound, without anyone's knowledge. No one can know this."

Madara never saw the surprise in Izuna's stature. For the first time in his life, Izuna was speechless. He was mentally prepared for anything. An assassination order or some bizarre request to fetch or steal something precious but…nothing like that.

"Have you proposed to her yet?"

"No, but I hope that for my sake she will accept my proposal. Our relationship was never defined, nothing solid that I could place my trust on. Sometimes I think about her and wonder if I ever had her? This is my final wish as the leader of the Uchiha."

Izuna's mouth twitched and a small chuckle escaped his lips, "What brother would I be if I refused this offer? Are you planning to step down from your position?"

"No, but you know that Hashirama and I are meant to battle to death. This was carved into stone from the day I was born and nothing could change that future. Not even her."

"Did you buy a ring for her at least?" he asked, wondering if such amount of money could be concealed from the calculators who made sure that the clan was living in plenty.

Madara raised a silver necklace to his eyes and surveyed the red stone in the middle. I looked like the Sharingan a little bit. The chain was made of graceful, thin silver and strengthened by jutsus to make sure it wouldn't break. The red stone was smooth and spotless, shaped like a droplet of blood. Madara poured all of his energy and knowledge of crafting into this small piece of jewellery.

"I didn't buy her anything. There's no need for something so shallow."

* * *

Yuna watched the clock tick by slowly. Soon she would have to race upstairs to Hideto's room and then she would have exactly ten minutes to kill him and escape. Sayu had laid out an entirely new plan for them. Right below Hideto's window was a passage that would lead outside the city walls. Hideto used it to smuggle out the women he was going to slaughter without anyone noticing. The entrance was exactly below Hideto's room, on the first floor.

The clock strike twelve and Yuna knew that now Hideto was going to be alone in his room. He always slept alone, with some guards in the walls and ceiling. The only weak point being that they reacted to sound. Hideto never allowed them to see inside because he was too afraid of betrayal. Hideto often composed letters with dire importance and he couldn't risk anyone seeing them.

To make sure that Yuna would have a smooth escape Sayu had arranged her buddies to set off some explosions in the castle and attack it to open up a window for them to escape. Originally, Sayu was planning to execute the plan on her own, but they had both agreed that Yuna was more skilled in the medical sciences now and could carry out the execution without any blood or noise. Sayu was going to wait in the passage quietly.

The crucial point was to kill Uematsu before the raid starts so she could slip out before his orders are desired, but not too early or else she can't slip out.

Yuna sprang up from her bed and out of her door, quickly sprinting up the stairs, making some noise to make her act seem more natural. Uematsu was probably just setting to go to sleep so she could still make it.

She wasn't surprised to find a buff man before Uematsu's room, his face emotionless.

Yuna stopped a few paces before him, panting with a victorious smile on her lips.

"I must see your master immediately!" she pressed out between faked pants.

"Uematsu-sama has retreated for the day and wishes not to be disturbed."

Yuna shook her head desperately, "No, you don't understand! I figured out the cause for his condition and it must be treated right now because it might prove fateful! How silly of me not to notice it before… it is such an easy thing to fix but easy to miss! Please, he could die at any minute! It's miraculous that he has survived even this long!"

The man didn't give in, even after Yuna saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes. He was debating with his inner loyalty.

"Please…have you no care for your master? If they find him dead tomorrow morning, it will be on your shoulders and not mine because I am trying to heal him right _now _while we're still in the window."

Still nothing. Yuna conjured her most dangerous expression, time to play the tough-gal card.

"I swear to god if you don't let me in I will kick down this door if that means that your master will listen to my warning. It is HIS life not yours so you don't get to decide about it! Don't start playing god now!"

_What am I doing though…? _Thought Yuna with a dry laugh.

Suddenly the door burst open and Uematsu was there. Yuna held her composure outside, but her inner flame died and fear rooted itself in her stomach. For a moment, she really did believe that Uematsu was going to issue orders for her imprisonment or death.

"Come in. No one will enter until I order it."

Yuna wobbled in, surprised of her own luck. The door closed with a fateful click behind her and she stood in the middle of the room, not really sure where to go. She took time to survey her surroundings. A beautiful room, where only the best materials were used. Everything looked perfectly in order, just like Uematsu. His room spoke of his love for order and discipline. There were no plants in this room, nor fish or anything else living. The entire room was made for the purpose of sleeping only.

"I shall make this explanation short because we don't have much time. What you have is a small abnormality in your chakra system. A tumour you could say. It's very easy to miss and so rare that no normal medic would ever suspect it. Even the good ones tend to miss it because it is usually inherited from the family and ninjas will have something like this checked out immediately.

The treatment will be fairly simple, no need for surgery and I strongly urge that you allow me to do it right now. It will only take an hour and you won't feel any pain if I'm careful."

Hideto's eyes flickered upwards. He was weighing the options in his mind. This could be a trap, but a part of him wanted to believe that this stranger really could heal him. His guards were alert and ready to spring out at any sign of danger.

Yuna couldn't see Hideto's face and in return, he couldn't see how she kept checking the clock on his wall. Yuna had to use chakra to keep her heartbeat at bay and trick her body into believing that she wasn't under extreme stress and pressure.

"Alright…If this really works you shall be rewarded greatly."

Yuna turned around happily with a relieved smile, "Thank god that you listened to reason. We should begin right away. Remove your top and lie down onto your stomach. The abnormality is located just near your right shoulder."

Uematsu complied slowly, "Why didn't you mention it before?"

Yuna smiled, "I did notice that something was odd, but I didn't desire to speak too soon to raise panic in your followers. Everyone's chakra pathways are different so I didn't make much of it at first but tonight it hit me."

Hideto sighed wearily and did as Yuna told him to. She sat on his back and smiled, "Feel free to fall asleep if you wish. This might prove to be quite relaxing."

Her words were met only by a short nod and he breathed out and closed his eyes. Yuna's polite mask remained in place, just in case his guards still had a peephole as her fingers searched for the soft spot to put him to sleep.

Hideto was an easy target, completely helpless under Yuna even with his threatening stature and temper. She found the spot on his neck and all it took was a tiny surge of chakra to put him into a light sleep. Too bad that he was not waking up again.

Yuna looked and the clock and cursed quietly. She only had three minutes left. Quickly, but soundlessly she formed signs to cast everyone in a five meter radius under a genjutsu. So when she kills Hideto and leaves the guards won't notice her chakra moving and his fading.

When she had double checked the genjutsu, she finally found the courage to fish out the needle from her clothes that she plunged into his neck, killing him instantly.

Just as she did so a loud explosion was heard. She didn't need a second cue. Yuna soundlessly jumped out of the window and into the darkness of night, never to be seen again in this strange village. Her mission was complete, she was alive and out of sheer luck actually managed to escape.

* * *

**Oh my god! Everybody hail! Gods have answered my prayers and FINALLY the OC character was added to the Naruto character list!**


	39. Chapter 39

39.

Yuna was on her back, looking up to the sky. She had returned from her mission, and before reporting back wanted to visit her previous home again. The urge was random, stupid and some why very persistent, so she complied. It was old, murky and looked very much dead by now.

She found it hard to believe that she called this revolting place her home once. It had lost all meaning and life, but that tree in the middle of the house in the courtyard remained strong as ever, its branches were adorned with lush green leaves. Even in the darkness she found comfort in their cover. Her eyes were looking up to the great void where she admired the millions of stars out there. She reached out her hand, trying to grab one, but every time they slipped away.

Yuna sat up and looked over her shoulder with a knowing smile.

"Madara," she began, but suddenly ran out of words to say. She made no move to run into his arms and for a long time his face remained blank, except for a softening in his features that was present around Yuna. She stood up and turned fully around to face him.

He never took notice before how short she actually was, but she stood proud, her back erect. In her eyes flickered the flame of longing. She wanted to stretch out her hand and touch him, and unlike the stars he would be tangible.

"The mission was a success," she finally managed to say.

There were no sounds around them. The silence acted as a protective blanket, cradling the two lovers in its embrace, urging them to stay together.

"Marry me!"

Madara groaned inwardly. In his mind, he planned this to be a request, not a selfish order. The words '_Only Uchiha Madara…_' rang in his head. Yuna snorted and shook her head jokingly.

"You're intolerable as always…"

"Answer me…"

Yuna sat back down on the grass and motioned Madara to follow. She laid down on her back and waited for Madara to lie down next to her. The two entwined their fingers.

Her hand fit into his perfectly and she savoured the warmth radiating from his body. For those short minutes, they were simply Yuna and Madara. The Uchiha clan was out of the picture.

"You are the most arrogant excuse of a man I've ever met, and I would gladly remarry you again. This time I won't agree to be separated from you again."

Madara smirked victoriously and his arm slinked around Yuna's waist, "I knew that you wouldn't be able to refuse…"

Yuna laughed and punched his rock hard stomach, "Are you kidding me? I bet you were sweating like a peasant under your robes. Praise the lords that it's so dark outside!"

"Close your eyes," he ordered. Madara didn't wait for her questions and forced her eyes close with his fingers, ignoring her loud protests and avoiding her badly aimed punches. He leaned close to her ear, "Don't you dare to open them before I tell you," he hissed in her ear, causing Yuna to halt all activities right away.

His fingers fished something small out of his pocket and Yuna felt cold metal against her skin.

"Oh, I guess diamond rings were too fancy for your taste?" she asked mockingly, feeling the cold stone against her skin.

"Damn it woman! It's handmade, show some respect." he growled quietly. Yuna opened her eyes and peered down at the tear-shaped stone. It was light, but felt very sturdy between her fingers. Same went for the chain that was made out of thin rings of silver. She felt the tiny traces of chakra in every link. Madara had done a meticulous job with it, leaving to lose ends or weak spots.

She leaned forward and kissed Madara softly, a reassuring kiss. He was going to need it in the next few days.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hands were cupping his face gently and she pressed her forehead against his, "It is perfect. I promise that I will never take it off."

"Who did you manage to convince or threaten into wedding us?" she asked curiously. Madara's lips curled downwards, "You have no faith in me. We will do it right now, right here. Izuna will be our witness."

"Isn't there a rule about the number of witnesses?" Yuna vaguely recalled once reading about it somewhere. Most likely before she was married to Madara for the first time.

"I don't care. This doesn't concern other people. It's only for us to know and cherish."

Yuna grinned, "Aren't you oddly poetic…" her smile was replaced by a frown, "You're plotting something."

She didn't pose it as a question. This was only expected. Sayu had shared her news about the happenings with Konoha. News travelled fast that Madara and Hashirama were competing for the leader's position, but the fight was already lost for Madara for Hashirama was more liked among people and had built many structures for the village with his wood jutsu.

Madara was cornered and now was time for the final resistance.

"Tomorrow, I've arranged a meeting. Everyone who wishes to hear me is invited."

"I will come. Sayu has told me everything about the current situation…"

Madara smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Yet you still returned to me…It was no coincidence that she was there at the same time."

Yuna pushed him away sharply, "Are you an idiot? You are insane! She has a newborn child at home!" Boom. All thoughts of marriage were shattered with one sentence.

"This doesn't matter to me. I was concerned about your safety on this foolish mission!" Their tempers were increasing rapidly and the two were ready to jump on the other like to wolves.

"Oh, it doesn't matter to YOU? Well what about her husband and child? What if our positions were swapped and _you _would be the husband awaiting my return?! You still don't care? I am not as weak as you believe!"

"I would never be some weakling sitting at home, doing nothing! Even now I was busy!"

Their voices sounded like thunder in the lingering silence of the Kunisada manor. Yuna snorted and threw her arms up in frustration, "Well sorry for not being as strong as the great Uchiha Madara so you would trust me enough to kill some buff civilian without sacrificing my closest friends!"

"She isn't dead," he noted dryly, as if he was already too bored of the argument that was spiking between them.

"As always you are completely missing the point when it comes to the humane things!"

"I am a tactician and a logical thinker not a psychologist." _or a love struck woman… _Madara added in his head, but he held his tongue just in case Yuna changes her mind with nauseating determination.

"The complete lack of trust in my abilities and, if you can even feel such an emotion, worry doesn't turn things right! You could've at least warned me!"

"I thought that you would be happy for the favour of seeing your friend again."

"STOP explaining everything with logic, without considering everything. You left out my feelings completely! Madara, I am not a doll that you can keep in your closet and you can't just go sacrificing everyone for your causes! They don't teach you about morals just for fun!"

Madara hated Yuna's words and tone, because she was skilfully pointing out every flaw in his actions with dripping sarcasm.

His fist slammed into a nearby pillar, sending it flying into the walls and sending splinters flying everywhere, "It's because I care about you god damn it! _Everything _was for you and you can't even appreciate it!"

Yuna's anger died down and her face turned blank when she began to think with a cool head, "This is not the Uchiha ground, so don't trash around like this is your home. As the head of Kunisada, I am asking you to get out before we say any more."

"Is this your answer?" asked Madara quietly. Yuna could trace a quiver in his voice.

"Go now, I will answer you tomorrow…"

Madara's emotions were unreadable. He never looked her that evening before he disappear, bolting away from the cursed house and its only inhabitant before he's caught up in the nauseating effects of these walls.

He never heard her sobs and her tears as the consequences of her actions and words dawned to Yuna.

_Everything was for you…_

The words kept repeating in her head repeatedly until it was so overwhelming that she could hear or see anything else.

* * *

Madara was incredibly surprised that he wasn't scared or nervous. Public speaking was his forte, but nevertheless he felt anxiety occasionally.

His last stand, most likely.

No, he was going down with dignity and honour. The final stand of Uchiha Madara, or the flight to victory, depending on the people listening to him. The meeting was supposed to take place around noon. Madara was waiting for Yuna the entire morning, sitting alone on his balcony and smoking.

Izuna knocked on his door, a clear sign that he was nervous for sure, and worried. Madara heard him come in and sit down behind him.

"Madara, are you sure?" he asked.

A smug grin spread on his face, "Izuna, you nauseate me. Have I ever backed down on my decisions?"

Madara's crass behaviour and smugness eased Izuna's worried mind and helped him straighten it out. He was going to stay loyal until the very end. The outcome didn't matter, because Madara was already going down in history as the most legendary Uchiha leader that no one can surpass. No one else could possess this raw strength, cunning mind and endless desire to evolve even further.

"Alright," he said and put down his pipe, "let's do this. To glory and the brighter future."

"She's not coming, isn't she?" asked Izuna without an ounce of pity. It sounded more like an inquiry about weather.

A rustling was heard in the trees before Yuna fell out of them, panting hard. She was dressed clad in black from head to toe, the red gem glistening in the sun. She ran towards the pair, her blue eyes glistening with rage.

"You aren't going anywhere, Madara! My answer is yes…I knew before that you're a crude, arrogant Neanderthal, but if you think that _this _will change my feelings then you are sadly mistaken!"

Her eyes remained fixed on Madara as she straightened up and stood in her full height, ready to hear his approval or dismissal. His eyes roamed her face and eyes before he smiled.

A true, genuine smile that he never showed.

"Well, if those are your vows then all I can add is that whatever you decide to do from now on, all of my actions will still be for you."

He leaned down and captured her lips for a moment before gently squeezing her hand.

"Go now, before anyone sees you here," he ushered her.

Yuna's gaze lingered for a moment before she left, to join with everyone else.

Izuna sighed and rubbed his forehead, "You know… I don't really count as a witness since I didn't really see anything."

Madara turned around, and his eyes were hard as steel. This was a leader standing in front of Izuna, not his older brother.

"There's no time for idle chatting. Come."

Thus it was that Uchiha Madara and Yuna were united quietly under the early-summer sun, away from everyone else. As Izuna promised her, she never went down in history as someone who stayed with Madara. She was written out after the final battle between Uchiha and Kunisada. No one ever found out about the presumed widow of Uchiha Madara.

* * *

All idle chatter died down when Madara slid open the door to the courtyard. Commoners peered up curiously, the warriors with stern respect and the elders' faces were adorned with scowls that seemed to be permanently etched to their faces.

Yuna was sitting in the back, away from prying eyes so she could focus on Madara only. Even her temporary team was lost to her eyes in the sea of black hair.

Madara hadn't organized anything like this in years. News travelled fast enough in their clan, filled with rivalry and hunger for power.

He stood in front of the crowd, taking time to look at every member in the eye before he spoke up.

"As you may all know, soon they will choose the leader for Konoha, the village all of us have built up together with hard work and dedication. The debate of leadership is still open and up for discussion.

We still have time to join our wills before this tyrant will corner us and drive us to the corners of the village where we will live under the mercy of the Senju. We can still emerge from this situation victorious.

I am asking your support in this, we shall take the position worthy of the blood of the Uchiha, not the unfair labour that the Senju will force us to do! Join my plea and we will gain the upper hand with numbers."

There was a grave silence around the crowd. No one dared to say anything, afraid of picking the wrong side. Yuna sat straight with her face blank and her eyes glued to Madara. His speech was short, straight to the point and passionate. The fire in his eyes was blazing, begging for others to understand that he wasn't the bad guy.

This was his choice. Madara wasn't a submissive person who will accept working under anyone. Yuna understood his train of thoughts, and while she didn't share Madara's ideals she could accept them. Hashirama can be pressured by the rest who are more hateful to strip the Uchiha from their regular power. She had only heard rumours about his personality and she didn't fully trust him yet. A person so gentle _might _make a good ruler. The situation Madara described wasn't out of the question.

Finally one of the elders stood up. Her eyes bore deeply into Madara's, as if trying to detect if he's a fool, or a genius.

"This formation was supposed to be a peaceful summit. Why are you trying to lay down seeds of trouble? This is not the time for a coup d'état."

Murmuring followed the bold response. For the first time Madara didn't lose his temper. This wasn't the place to lose his cool.

"This is no coup, when there isn't even a government to overthrow. I'm asking for you to support me becoming the Hokage. I would guide our village like I have led our clan. If we will be heard then everything _will _be peaceful."

"And after your surge to power? From what I've understood Hashirama has no plans for war and he is going to offer civilians a safe place to grow their children without the constant war and poverty! Kids would actually live long enough to taste alcohol and find love."

_They just don't understand. They can't see._

Madara eyed the woman for a short moment with a frown, "Do you think that I am not thinking about the safety and the greater good of everyone who would be living in Konoha with me as their leader? Do you believe that I wish to throw children away like our future doesn't depend on them?!"

It would've worked earlier. Maybe…but the damage was already done and seeds of doubt were etched in peoples' minds. Izuna and Yuna were the only pair who never wavered. The group seemed do divide quickly between those who continued to support Madara, though they were few in numbers.

The elders were huddled together before they looked up sternly.

"You don't have our support, Uchiha Madara. Times are changing and you will either accept those changes or perish like rusting iron. This decision should be made by the public and not an individual. The election is tomorrow, so I believe that everyone here will gladly consider your words before making their final decision."

"I understand," said Madara sternly, but he didn't act defeated. Instead he offered a deep bow for the onlookers before retreating with Izuna behind him.

Yuna was gone before she could hear the clansmen whisper among each other. She didn't want to hear any of it. Only she and Izuna knew the extent of the hurt that the clan just caused Madara.

* * *

The first and final public appearance where Madara and Yuna stood proudly side by side was when they announced the election results. Hashirama and Madara both had clansmen behind them, anxiously awaiting for results. The pair didn't touch each other, but Yuna was mentally prepared for the worst.

Only she saw the glint in Madara's eyes when they announced that Hashirama was going to be the first Hokage. Cheers broke out and fireworks blasted in the background. The colourful flowers and dragons lightened up the sky, accompanied by stars. The flashes dyed the skin of onlookers into green, yellow, red and blue. With a few easy moves Hashirama was dressed appropriately and the square hat was placed on his head.

Finally, after months of tedious work and negotiations they reached their goal and Konoha was officially formed and after years of rivalry, death and wars the two clans finally accepted peace and tranquillity. Hashirama graciously accepted the congratulation and praise from his clansmen as well as the Uchiha's.

_We did it, Madara. We finally formed the village where no one kills._

A large feast for everyone was prepared earlier with the efforts of Uchiha and Senju women who shared their recipes and joined forces to feed the incredible mass of people. The shouts and applause of the crowd was deafening.

Madara was one of the last ones that Hashirama spoke to. Yuna stayed by his side and offered a respectful bow to Hashirama when he reached the pair. Yuna only briefly glanced Chinatsu, but the woman was gone as fast as she appeared.

"Congratulations, Hashirama. You deserved it."

Madara's words sounded polite to some, but strained for Yuna's ears. Hashirama smiled at his old friend warmly with genuine compassion.

"This isn't the place. Tonight, at midnight when the celebrations are over."

They didn't exchange any more words in public. Izuna was next to Madara right after Hashirama left. Yuna smiled and stepped away, "I shall leave you two alone…"

Madara's hand snapped out and pulled her close to her, his hand resting on her waist. His hand trembled against the fabric of her clothes.

"No. I want you to be here with Izuna…" he was smiling cynically, not even trying to hold back his emotions anymore, "I've been defeated and abandoned. Except for you two. So tonight we will drink to that."

The trio sat behind their destined table, above all and right next to the Hokage and Senju elders. They didn't utter a word throughout the entire evening. Quietly they observed the performers and listened to the idle chatter around them. For Madara everything was dull and soundless.

He focused only on three things; Izuna, Yuna and sake. Cup after cup he poured the burning liquid down into his stomach.

Minutes and hours ticked by until the clock was nearing midnight. He offered no words of excuse and quietly slipped away from the table, leaving Yuna and Izuna alone together.

"He's strong," she uttered quietly under her breath. Izuna smiled sadly, "He is broken. If you have any respect left for him then I really hope that you meant what you said yesterday. Stand by him even if he pushes you away..."

"Good work by the way…you did well…" Izuna whispered to Yuna. The polite, fake, annoying smile was on his lips again. Yuna's hands tightened under the table.

"I will wait for him, Izuna."

* * *

Madara never suspected that Hashirama would make it in time. The people were too jolly to let him leave so soon. He sat down, leaning against the wall and closed his eyes.

Hashirama, his best friend, was the new Hokage, not him.

People had completely lost whatever trust they had left and transferred it all to Hashirama. Uchiha clan would wither and rot like a weaker tree. Natural loss. Nature's choice of plucking out the weak.

He had to admit that he'd be lying to everyone if he said that he wasn't after power. Everyone was. It was a natural instinct of men to desire more…be better, faster, stronger and own more land than anyone else. People are meant to be ruled by someone. In their hearts they secretly desire it, only a few will actually voice it.

He opened his eyes when he heard Hashirama enter.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry for making you wait this long dear friend. It just kept going on and on," he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head, an old habit of his when he apologized to someone.

Madara stood up from the ground and the two faced each other. They were even the same height…

"Madara…I don't want this to change things between us. You will have say in the decisions as well. This election doesn't mean that you are expelled from Konoha, our village."

"The final word will still be yours. Two people can't govern a clan, much less two clans with years of rivalry."

The candle light flickered, casting odd shadows on their faces. Madara looked even more intimidating that usually and Hashirama looked like the young boy he was when the two met.

"To lose that rivalry, is why we formed this, on the ground where we met and formed a friendship that wasn't based on blood or power. I want to strive to the same harmony. My reign won't be for forever and I want the title of the second Hokage to go to you."

Madara snorted, "This hope is foolish. I have lost my foothold here. I could maybe become a second-rate general, not trusted with a higher position. No, the second Hokage shall be Tobirama, your brother. No one will vote an Uchiha to become a leader."

Hashirama stepped away and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Madara please, stop. You sound as if you've made up your mind already!"

When no reply came from Madara he turned around slowly, "You've made up your mind…" he whispered as Madara's intentions dawned to him.

"Yes," was his dull response, "I have decided to leave this place. I will pursue my goals _my _way."

Hashirama shook his head, "Madara, you know that you are dear to me. Let me come with you, I will help you. I will abandon this title and everything, but let me help you. Don't fall under the curse like so many before you."

This was the first time that Madara saw this desperation on Hashirama's face.

Madara seemed to be shaking. It took the young Hokage a few seconds to realize that he was laughing. A sad laugh of someone, who has completely abandoned all.

"Stop talking nonsense. Someone like you could never understand my dreams," his laugh died down to a scowl, "Running after me is pointless, after all…no one can stand behind me."

* * *

Madara left the village without a word that night. He was done with Konoha, done with the Senju and the Uchiha and done with trying to do things the 'right' way. He left Yuna and Izuna behind, because what he needed was solitude, and simply knowing that they were safe was enough for him.

They didn't try to stop him or run after him. Madara was too engrossed in his determination. Izuna left in a completely different direction, after refusing a position in the Uchiha clan. They betrayed his brother and in return Izuna couldn't forgive them.

"I have better things to do," he said curtly and after an hour he had disappeared.

Izuna never returned.


	40. Chapter 40 - The Final

40.

Yuna sat on the wooden chair and her hands were laid on the table. All she could currently think about was that annoying chair. It was hard and uncomfortable and barely qualified to be usable. Day after Madara and Izuna left she was brought in for a 'talk' they called it, but Yuna preferred to refer it to as an 'interrogation'.

The Uchiha would've gladly killed her by now, most likely, but as they now belonged under the government of Konoha; such judgments belonged to the Hokage.

She waited patiently, playing out different scenarios in her head. Maybe they were going to play bad-good interrogator? The bright red stone looked like blood against her pale skin, but it felt warm. When she closed her eyes, it felt as if Madara was standing behind her, watchful and vigilant as always with that annoying scowl on his face as if a dead rat was in front of him.

Yuna didn't dare to actually look behind her, because then she could see that it was only her in this ugly room with an atrocity they called a chair.

Finally, the door opened and, for her utter shock, Hashirama entered. Her surprise didn't go unnoticed and she was about to stand up to offer some respect out of habit, but he shook his head and sat down opposite of her.

"Wow…didn't expect for you to be my interrogator…"

He tilted his head innocently, "So you are saying that there might be a reason to interrogate you?"

Hashirama was the complete opposite of Madara; sweet, honest and gentle. He didn't try to intimidate someone to submission.

"On the contrary, I'm trying to figure out what right do you have to hold me in this room. I haven't stolen anything and haven't laid a finger on anyone."

He took off the Hokage hat and placed it neatly on the table. Hashirama's brown hair was neatly tied, obviously by a woman.

"You were the second closest person to Madara, now that both he and Izuna disappeared…Then there is the sudden burning of the Kunisada mansion…"

Yuna's face stayed blank, but she pulled her hands to her lap to hide them from view, "What I do with my own house is my business. I was thinking about a change of scenery, thought about renting a place in the outskirts…"

Hashirama leaned back in his chair, "So you decided to burn it to the ground?"

Her mouth twitched to a sneer, "Hokage-sama," she began slowly, as if speaking to a child, "that home reminded me of all the clansmen I killed in the name of loyalty and duty. Why would I want to live in that cursed house all alone? The bills would be gigantic…"

Hashirama chuckled, "Still joking in this situation, you're just like him. Haven't you thought about following Madara? Do you know where he went?"

Yuna stared at him for a moment before she giggled, an innocent twinkle appearing in her eye, "Here I thought that you're an intellectually developed man. Even if I knew where he went, I wouldn't go after him. No one can follow Madara."

"Funny," Hashirama mused, "he said something very similar to me yesterday."

"I bet he did."

He sighed and buried his face in his hand, "…I can't believe it. You entered his life so recently while I was a childhood friend, yet you understand his motives better than me!" For that fleeting moment, Yuna saw a young man, who looked as weary and tired as Madara, with the difference of vigour and will.

She smiled, flashing her white teeth, "Of course. The Madara in the past has little to do with his present self. Times change, but if you're here to discuss Madara then we might as well move to a café."

"Hardly…The Uchiha seem reluctant about letting you leave."

"It is your word against theirs. I have no plans of causing havoc and Madara left without saying anything to me. My business with the Uchiha is done."

Shock crossed Hashirama's face, "That's it? You want pardon for…what?"

Yuna shook her head, "Simply telling them to leave me alone would be enough. I'm meeting with someone today to discuss renting a house in the woods so if you would, I'd gladly leave you to your own business. Being a Hokage must be tedious. I can imagine the cramps in your hand from writing your name on paper."

Hashirama made no move to stop Yuna when she stood up and began to leave. His hand reached out and gripped her wrist, "Can you persuade him?"

Yuna twisted her hand out of his grasp before offering him a smile, "Hokage-sama, you can't persuade Madara to do anything. Do you even know the first thing about him?"

Hashirama looked bewildered, and confused. Yuna chuckled, "Thought as much. It was a pleasure talking with you."

* * *

For the next two months, Yuna locked herself up into the wooden house outside the village. It wasn't a lonesome solitude, for she bought enough rice to survive a three-year apocalypse and the previous owner of the house left behind his books.

Yuna wasn't an idiot, and she took enough money, clothes and other valuables from the Kunisada mansion before igniting it. She burned every clan secret beforehand just in case the hidden shrines are left untouched. She just prayed that no one would build another piece of property on that disgusting land.

For now she was training, meticulously in the dark and sleeping during day time and…waiting.

Waiting for what?

She couldn't shake off the feeling that something big was coming.

Madara had left no note or sent any messages, but she knew that her idiot of a husband was going to battle Hashirama. The question was when. Where didn't pose a problem anymore since Hashirama couldn't leave the village.

She had seen Madara's powers and knew that Hashirama had to be at least as powerful, if not even stronger.

_They'll have to re-draw every map at this rate… _she thought bitterly of all the destruction the land was going to suffer because of the two.

So with all of her spare time she began brushing up on medical ninjutsu. A teacher was out of the question so she studied everything from the books and practiced on herself.

Yuna could do basic repairs to any stab and burn wound. Her body wasn't thankful, but her mind was prepared for the worst.

Slowly she started practicing a simple mantra

_Madara might die and I might not be able to do anything about it. _

The Uchiha didn't attempt to contact her, not even once. Yuna was hoping that Izuna would drop by because his mind remained an enigma for her. Where did he go, why and when were too complicated to answer.

Sadly, Yuna never saw the biography that Izuna was writing.

* * *

The evening in Konoha was pleasant as always. The summer nights were a precious reward for enduring the long sultry days of Konoha. The city had expanded even more and around the world, other groups were mimicking Konoha's structure and new villages were popping up. For the people, life couldn't have been better for Hashirama was a gentle man with admirable combat skills.

Business was blooming and the elitism of clans was somewhat lessened. Kids were trained in special academies instead of their watchful parents and the fighting wasn't for leadership in the clan but for the Hokage title. That was every kid's dream.

"I want to be the Hokage when I grow up!" was the most common phrase for kids.

For years, people hadn't felt carefree enough to let down their guard and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Hashirama was the first one to feel a change in the wind. His brother Tobirama was by his side in an instant and they exchanged glances between each other. There were traces of evil chakra in the air, barely detectable and still very far away. There was only one man in the entire world who would consider attacking Konoha after it was declared the 'safest place'.

Tobirama didn't offer him words of encouragement or good luck. Hashirama still clearly remembered the cold 'encouragement' Tobirama offered him.

"Crush him, Hashirama. Cast aside your personal feelings, because he is a threat to the village."

_What if I die Tobi? Are those your last words?_

"If I don't come back then you will take my spot."

Hashirama nodded curtly before he left through the window. He couldn't see Madara yet, but the chakra surges that were coming from him were monstrous. An idea began to form in his head to explain this and it wasn't pretty.

All he could think about was keeping the village safe. He had to meet Madara before he gets closer, otherwise the villagers would be harmed during their blows.

He ran like never before. A mile, two, three and maybe even ten before he saw Madara clearly.

Hashirama, for the first time in his life, was afraid. Afraid for the village, afraid for Madara and afraid for everyone he held dear.

There he stood, on the head of the nine-tailed fox, clad in armour and red Sharingan blazing as if he were a king. He was carrying his trademark fan with the Uchiha crest. The nine-tails' back was hunched and his teeth bared, ready to tear flesh and kill.

He coldly looked over Hashirama before his face twisted to a snarl. There was no room for talking or negotiating. His chakra said everything, Madara was out to kill.

_So it will end, my best friend._

* * *

A series of curses escaped Yuna. She was in the middle of a bath when she felt the familiar waves of chakra. Immediately she sprung out of the bath, slipping and landing on her stomach.

It wasn't enough to cause her more damage than a small shortness of breath. It passed quickly enough. She scrambled up and ran out of the bathroom to her bedroom. It took her less than five minutes to fetch all her gear and clothes before she tied her wet, dripping hair into a low ponytail.

She sprinted out of her house, leaving the door open and lights on. All that mattered for her was to reach Madara before it's too late. Both shinobi are likely to use flamboyant, ridiculously chakra-consuming jutsus so the fight can't drag on for too long. Normally, Madara would drag on a good fight, but his mind wasn't the same any more.

_Please stay alive. Please stay alive. You don't get to die on me! _

She felt the first shock waves and heard the first thundering noise of destruction. Fear weakened her senses for a brief second. This was a battle between monsters, gods even. Someone like her could never survive an outright battle like this.

It sounded like the two were tearing up mountains, trying to reach the core of earth.

She swallowed down her fears and ran, because the fear of finding the crushed remains of Madara surpassed her life. The mere thought of seeing that legendary shinobi crushed into a wet pulp was unacceptable. He mustn't go down in history as the legend who lost.

Yuna ran and ran until she was so close that the ground beneath her was shifting. It caused her to trip and stumble, but she suppressed her chakra as she got closer and kept pushing forward, trying to breathe normally.

The tiny seeds of hate that were planted in her heart grew rapidly like bamboo. Konoha, the village that Madara loved and Uchiha, the clan that Madara adored abandoned him, exiled him and forced him to give in to hate.

_They _ruined _him. _

_They will suffer like him. _

As Yuna got closer, hear breath hitched.

There was nothing left any more. This wasn't Konoha, it was a wasteland. Trees were ripped out with their roots and cast aside and the once beautiful greenery was reduced to a mass of craters and debris.

It was quiet. Too quiet for her liking.

She moved forward soundlessly towards the biggest crater. Water was falling down from the top, forming a small waterfall. Yuna felt two traces of chakra at the bottom. Her hands were shaking as she advanced slowly, too afraid to peer over the edge.

Yuna flinched when she heard the nauseating cracks of a sword piercing a body, and from the chakra patterns, she could tell that Madara was hit. She didn't even try to hide herself anymore and ran out. She slid down the edge of the valley to the bottom where she saw the rivals. Hashirama looked nearly as weak as Madara, as both had exhausted their chakra reserves and were now just hanging.

A pool of blood was forming around Madara. Yuna ran down, her anger welling up. She tried to stop the images in her head but they kept coming like a massive river.

All she wanted to do was to bash Hashirama's head against the wall until his face was flat, shapeless and pieces of flesh would fall from hit. She wanted to rip off his nails, skin him alive and let him rot slowly, so he could feel the pain of decaying flesh. Yuna wanted to burn him, scrape off small amounts of flesh so he would die after days of excruciating pain. She wanted to open up his stomach and pull out his intestines while he was awake so he could witness his insides being turned out.

More and more plots for murder were beginning to for in her head. She considered carrying them out, when she heard a whisper.

"Don't. Leave him."

Madara looked up to her from the strands of his hair with a gentle look. Hashirama couldn't see it from that far away. Madara's face was covered with dirt and blood. Whose blood it was, remained unclear.

"This was for Konoha," said Hashirama. He didn't sound cruel, but it was obvious that he didn't regret his actions. Even while weakened his determination didn't waver.

"LEAVE! Before I actually kill you!" Yuna screamed at him. She couldn't remember the last time she was this angry with someone. Hashirama offered a look of condolence, turned around and walked away, and this was his biggest mistake. He didn't live long enough to find out about it, sadly.

Yuna knelt down next to Madara, her hands trembling.

"Okay, shut up, you are not going to die…" she mumbled. Green light surrounded her fingers as she focused on stopping the blood loss. Madara's eyes never left her face during her measly attempts of saving his life.

"You…suck at this…" he managed to say. He lifted his hand, causing Yuna to halt her healing. The main bleeders were fixed for now.

"Shut up…" she mumbled.

He kept lifting it higher and higher until Madara's hand reached her neck.

His fingers curled around the red stone and Yuna felt his chakra levels raise rapidly. With the help of Yuna, Madara was turned on his back so he could breathe better. A single tear slipped down her cheek. Madara closed his eyes, and when he opened them, again the Sharingan was blazing in them. Yuna wasn't afraid to look at the blood red eyes.

The next moment he sat up and wiped away the tear.

"Silly woman, you don't get to cry now," he said with a gentle smile. Yuna took his trembling hand between hers.

"I will…I will find a way to end his life. He can't just get away-." Madara silenced Yuna with a kiss. She closed her eyes, savouring the taste and softness. He pulled away and Yuna chocked back the rest of the tears that were threatening to fall.

"You are as stupid as usual…Konoha can't have you…That village will be burnt down by black flames…Cursed..." he paused and sighed, "but not today. Even the amount of chakra I sealed in the stone would be enough. I knew you'd turn up with it whether I wanted to or not…but this chakra was given for you to hold for an entirely different reason."

_Hashirama ruined everything… _Madara thought bitterly, _my clan, Izuna and now even Yuna..._

The curse of hatred was never going to leave him alone.

Yuna shook her head, "Fix your wounds already, you idiot! I can't have you die."

Madara shook his head, "Are you so blinded by grief and hatred that you still haven't noticed?"

Yuna looked around, oblivious until she realized...How could he move around so freely?

"You…ass…you son of a bitch cast a genjutsu on me?! Why?"

"In the real world, only ha few seconds have passed. I wanted to explain things to you first, because when you wake up, you won't remember me any more…not as your lover at least. I will be replaced by a different face and name."

He watched patiently as the news dawned to Yuna. She slapped his hand away, "What…YOU don't have the right to fuck with my memory! Madara you're the only thing I have! You can't do this to me! I don't want this!" Her voice was trembling as a myriad amount of tears began to fall from her eyes. Madara remained patient with her, this time not scolding her for crying.

_Today is the last time you may cry._

"Everything is for you, Yuna. Konoha won't take you away from me as well, and I know that you can't continue living on with this hatred in your heart. You, of all people, deserve a normal life."

"MADARA! I can't have this be the last time I see you, and I won't even remember it!"

He smiled and motioned her to come closer. Yuna did so, although hesitantly because her anger was still too fresh.

"This isn't the last time. I will come and visit you a lot…before you die the jutsu will release itself and you will remember everything. Us, my visits, your real life. Everything, and I will be there when that happens. This is my wedding gift for you."

She couldn't suppress the humourless laugh, "You really are a shitty husband…I haven't heard of a worse wedding gift before…"

Madara's hand curled around her waist and the other caressed her cheek as he kissed her for the last time. It was in a genjutsu, but he clearly remembered her salty tears, sweet taste, trembling hands and the curve of her slim waist.

Yuna pulled around, trying not to hyperventilate. He smiled widely, for the first and last time.

"You will always remain here," he placed her hand on his chest, right across his wound where his heart used to be, "I will never forget you." She could detect only a faint heartbeat.

"I love you," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his. Strands of his long hair fell on her face,

"Sleep now, my dearest,"

The last thing Yuna saw were Madara's onyx eyes.

* * *

A woman in her late thirties was picking cherries in her garden, quietly humming a melody to herself. She had two large baskets next to her that were overflowing. This summer, for some reason, she had harvested considerably more.

The wind blew, causing her light blue dress to whip around her ankles. She sighed and turned around sharply, with a cunning grin to find a boy, no older than five behind her with his pockets filled with cherries. The boy shrieked and tried to run away but the woman was faster and she lifted the boy up.

"Now, Daisuke Ono, give me a good reason why I shouldn't go and tell your mother about this? Didn't I teach you something about stealing things?"

The boy looked down sadly and mumbled something inaudible.

"What?" asked the woman playfully, "Speak up I can't make out a thing you're saying!"

"Yes Yuriko-san. You told me that stealing is very bad…"

A smile crossed on her lips and she put the boy down and crouched down to her level. Small traces of early wrinkles were already etching into her skin. Any random onlooker could tell that in her youth she was a beautiful woman.

"Daisuke, if you want cherries then you have to _ask _first. I am not a very envious woman…But now as a punishment, you have to help me pick the rest. If you do that, then I won't tell your mommy what you did and I'll give you one basket as a reward!"

The little boy peered into Yuriko's blue eyes, trying to see if she was tricking him again, "You really mean that?"

She smiled widely and ruffled his hair, "Of course. Don't climb very high or you will fall. Only pick the berries that are lower and let _me _deal with everything else."

Daisuke emptied his pockets with pink cheeks, "Yuriko-san, why don't you have any kids? You are way better than my mommy who is always just nagging on me…"

Yuriko pushed her hair away from her face, "Your mommy does that because she wants you to become a better man in the future. I don't have any kids because my husband died in war before we could have any. All I have left from him is this," she said and showed the boy a silver necklace with a red, tear-shaped stone. It was hid under her clothes earlier because the colours didn't match.

His eyes went wide as he stared at it, "It's so pretty Yuriko-san! It looks like a cherry!"

The nostalgic look from her eyes vanished before she straightened up, "Back to work now, before I change my mind!"

The two worked the entire day, filling two and a half more baskets before Yuriko called a break during late afternoon. Together they had a cold drink and ate some inarizushi. It was something that Yuriko could make very skilfully. Truthfully, her cooking skills were pretty limited because she only had herself to feed, unless Daisuke was sent to her every now and then when his parents had to leave for town.

The couple had moved there from Konoha years ago after Uchiha Madara fought the first Hokage and lost his life, claiming that the city life is still no place to raise a small child.

They finished the light meal and Yuriko cleaned up while Daisuke looked around her house. There was still enough left for the evening.

He picked up random books, trying to find pictures in them.

"Yuriko-san your books are boring! There are no pictures…"

She looked over her shoulder before giggling, "How about you draw some pictures and we can stick 'em between the pages, so it's almost like a picture book!"

Yuriko finished the washing-up quickly before motioning Daisuke to follow her.

"Let's go home. Your mom will be worried otherwise." She picked up one of the baskets and together they walked down the road toward Daisuke's house. Here in the countryside they only had farmers who all traded with each other. So no one had to worry about money there. Yuriko could give away a basket of cherries for a bag of rice and cotton and she grew some vegetables in her yard as well.

Because they walked slowly, it took them about forty minutes to reach Ono's farm. Daisuke ran ahead of Yuriko, opening the door wildly while shouting about cherries.

Her mother came out and they exchanged some pleasantries and news before Daisuke's mother smacked her forehead, "I almost forgot, your friend is coming to visit tonight right? I'll give you some vegetables. We're drowning in them!"

Before Yuriko could protest that she already finished cooking a huge bag filled with tomatoes, carrots, zucchini and what not else. She thanked her before heading back home. Soon the sun would start to set and her friend would arrive.

He came once every year, during her birthday. They met at that time through a frightening chance. He came stumbling to her door, body covered with wounds, asking for her to allow him to stay a night. Yuriko was too afraid of him to refuse and offered her to bandage him up.

They talked that evening and became friends and he promised to come again next year.

He never missed a year, for nearly fifteen years he came and they always stayed up talking.

Yuriko got home and stared at the other three cases of cherries that needed to be carried away. She bent down to pick one up when a pair of gloved hands beat her to it.

Yuriko straightened up and smiled to the masked man. He never took off the orange mask with one hole, claiming that he had some bad burn wounds and it was easier to move around like this, without everyone pointing at him.

"Women shouldn't carry such heavy things," he said and picked up another one, leaving the lightest one to Yuriko.

"You're early this year. I was just about to fix something up for you." She shifted the vegetable bag to her left side and picked up the basket and followed Tobi inside.

"Walk to the end of the corridor and turn left," she instructed him. After everything was set away Yuriko began working at the kitchen while Tobi sat down on the sofa, stretching his muscles.

"Do you want your brown dumplings now or later?"

Tobi stifled a laugh, "It's still called sushi and I'll have them later with you."

He picked up a book that Daisuke had left on the table, while listening to the rhythmic chopping.

_The Complete Biography of Uchiha Madara, by Oohashi Haruki_

"I didn't know you were interested in history!" he exclaimed, skimming through the book until he reached the chapter for Kunisada massacre.

…_his wife died there, while loyally fighting by his side. She suffered multiple stab wounds and died the same day. Unlike the rest of the casualties her grave isn't found because the Uchiha couldn't bury her to their graveyards, so her body was incinerated and her ashes were scattered into a nearby forest. After the glorious victory…_

Yuriko looked up for a second to see what he was reading before she shrugged, "Well not really, but the man seemed interesting. I heard that they call him the ultimate shinobi, irreplaceable, but the book seems a little biased. The writer isn't a loyal Uchiha, since they wouldn't share their secrets so openly, but this book is written on a very personal level. Unless he actually was there next to Madara I would say that the Uchiha clan ratted him out pretty bad."

Tobi muttered something before putting the book back into the shelf and sitting back down.

"How about we go on a trip this year? You probably have never been out of the countryside…"

Yuriko laughed, "You silly man! I can't just run off like this. Maybe for a month this December? I'd really like to see the snow. We don't get it here… Tobi have you seen snow?!"

She could already tell when he smiled under that mask, "Where I grew up it snowed sometimes. Only a little bit though."

"Well it's settled then! Come pick me up on the first of December and we can get drunk on New Year celebrations together."

"Silly woman…"

* * *

He kept coming every year. While Yuriko grew older he never wavered and remained youthful as always. Every year the wrinkles spread further around her face like spider webs and her hair went whiter. The only thing that didn't change were her eyes.

Tobi took her away for a month every December, always to a new place. She saw snow, the wide deserts of Suna and the mountains of Cloud.

On their last December together, when Yuriko was nearing eighty five Tobi took her to some place less extreme. Together they visited the Valley of the End. He patiently helped her climb down the steep falls, after she stubbornly refused to be carried, "Don't treat me like any old hag!" she said and began walking down.

"Beneath this waterfall Madara and the first Hokage Hashirama exchanged their final blow. You probably read that he was stabbed to the chest."

Yuriko wasn't listening to him. She was peering at the stern statue of Uchiha Madara with utmost surprise. Tobi glanced at her carefully, "Yuriko?" he asked before the old woman began to laugh.

"You sound like I'm dying! I'm just looking at this beautiful man…pity he had to die at such a young age…At least he got to see his wife again in the afterlife."

"Yes…he did," Tobi mumbled quietly in front of him.

He began visiting Yuriko more often when age began catching up to her. He helped around the house when the elderly lady couldn't move around as much anymore because of her heart. She kept trying to tell him to go and enjoy his everlasting youth instead of 'taking care of this sack of flour like me'.

That year they didn't go anywhere in December, because Yuriko was down with a high fever that showed no signs of going down. Tobi stayed by her side the entire month, constantly checking her pulse and temperature. He sometimes went away for an hour or two and then came back as suddenly as he left.

"It's like you teleport yourself," joked Yuriko.

Tobi shook his head, "Silly Yuri, save your strength instead of talking to me."

The fever went on until the night of the twenty fourth of December.

"I guess this is the end for me…" muttered Yuriko. The red necklace on her neck was growing hot. She took in a sharp breath before a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"Madara…" she whispered before a knowing smile crossed her face and she closed her eyes.

Tobi wiped away the tear on her cheek and tucked her in properly. He then removed his mask and placed a final kiss on her forehead before he left her side on the bed. The Ono family discovered her body two days later and Tobi never returned.

* * *

**THE END**

**Three years, and after promising you so many times that I will finish this properly I did. You have been the coolest readers ever, providing me with simple joy when I felt down and now we're finished. **

**It's a little silly but when I finished typing I got all teary because...well this story is three years of my life after all. I thank you all with a very deep bow for sticking through this and..hopefully you will enjoy what I write in the future (:**

**To those future readers who don't know, Tobi is Madara in this story because when I started it, I planned this ending. When it was revealed that Madara is still Madara then I didn't want to twist the ending, so it bears the tag of AU now :D**

**THANK YOU ALL !**

**R.**


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